Look to the Eastern Sky
by Achariyth1
Summary: A simple walk through the forest gave Alice more than she expected.  Now she faces a dire foe unlike any Gensokyo has seen, in the heart of Gensokyo itself.    First part of the Clockwork Devils cycle.
1. The Eyes of the World

_**Look to the Eastern Sky**_

_**Book One of the Clockwork Devils**_

_**Written by Achariyth**_

Disclaimers, author's notes, and acknowledgments will appear in the sixth and final chapter. Until then, the standard disclaimer applies.

_Paranoia is a carefully cultivated virtue, especially when your home has been invaded repeatedly. Sure, no one died and the _youkai _invaders from Earth had been driven off, but they had also counted coup as they left the Moon, raiding the Princesses' personal storehouse. That embarrassment only fueled the Lunarians' paranoia._

_Sure, Yukari Yakumo might have made peace, but it came with all the sincerity of "…and this time I really, really mean it. Cross my heart and hope to die. No take backs, I promise." However, she previously led two invasions of the moon and masterminded a third, a fact that did not foster trust. The Lunarians wanted to make sure that the border youkai did not have her fingers crossed when she signed the treaty._

_That required vigilance, surveillance, and, yes, even a healthy streak of paranoia. It also required that some poor soul sit her butt at a desk and monitor the suite of watchdog sensors aimed at Japan all day long without her eyes glazing over. And while she's watching for Yukari's mischief, she might as well keep an eye on Ms. Yagokoro and the Houraisan princess, just to make sure that those two didn't come back to the Moon to take what was rightfully theirs._

"_Some days, it just doesn't pay to climb the social ladder," the hare called Reisen said, paging through displays on her desk monitor. She had started her life hammering medicine until boredom and frustration compelled her to run away. In the confusion of the lunar invasion, however, Reisen had become the pet of the Lunarian princesses, the Watatsuki sisters. Now her duties included being the princesses' confidant, protégé, concubine, and gofer whenever she was not sitting at a desk trying not to go stir crazy from the boredom._

_At least she could catch up on her reading, whenever Yorihime was not looking. Not only did the princess not approve of anything that distracted from one's duties, she also hated the lurid pulp romances Reisen eagerly devoured. That still did not stop the hare from sneaking a peek on shift now and again._

_She rummaged through the attaché case as her feet, and froze. Unfamiliar silver light glowed from her monitor. She jerked upright; her fingers flying across the controls to instruments as she frantically saved and printed images, reports, and displays. Scooping up the stack of papers from the printer, she dashed out of the room, screaming for her supervisor at the top of her lungs. _

"_Princess Toyohime!"_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1 - The Eyes of the World<strong>

_If we are not here to do_

_What you and I wanna do_

_And go forever crazy with it_

_Why the hell are we even here?_

-"Ultimate," Gogol Bordello, stolen from Sanae Kochiya's music collection by Marisa Kirisame

While the outskirts of the Forest of Magic were relatively safe, except for rampaging youkai, territorial magicians, and roving gangs of Rinnosuke Morichika's love-struck suitors, true peril awaited those souls who dared to delve deeper inside the forest. If a traveler had the fortune to avoid poisonous miasmas, rampaging beasts, and mischievous fey, they could still find themselves digesting inside the trunk of one of the many carnivorous trees.

Oddly enough, it reminded Alice of her childhood home.

Although the flora and fauna tended to leave her alone, various denizens hoping for an easy meal were not opposed to snatching a doll or two. Typically, the opportunistic predator found their insides scattered throughout many square kilometers of forest. Alice had been schooled in the ancient and venerable philosophy of "overkill is underrated," so she filled her dolls with gunpowder for just such an occasion.

Between Marisa and her Master Spark and Alice and her dolls, the remaining forest residents learned an important survival lesson; leave the blonde she-devils alone.

Even though she could walk through the forest with impunity, Alice still hated to lose a doll. Rather than fight, she preferred to keep an eye out for trouble, avoiding it whenever possible. Trouble, however, always seemed to find her, and always at the least opportune moment.

As she walked through the forest, Alice conversed with her dolls. Unlike the rumors to the contrary, she knew the dolls did not really answer back; it was just easier that way for the magic controlling them to interpret her will. Other times, the dolls made for an effective sounding board as their reactions gave Alice insight into her subconscious reactions to any given idea.

Currently, Alice still had a few details she had yet to finalize for her new giant doll design, including the name. Marisa had glossed the doll "Goliath," which matched the stature but just wasn't cute enough for a very grown up Shanghai doll.

"So, what shall we name her? Orpah? That was Goliath's mother," Alice said. The Dutch dolls and single Shanghai stopped harvesting mushrooms, turned towards Alice, and shook their heads. "Guess I'll try another one."

"You know, it's creepy how you do that," Hatate said, swooping down next to Alice. The doll master spun around, red-faced.

"And you following Aya all the time is any better?" Alice snapped. The _tengu_ had touched a nerve.

Hatate shrugged. "Someone's got to keep her honest."

"How is harassing people 'keeping her honest?'" Alice said. With a flick of her fingers, she sent her dolls and their mushrooms into the brush. Many magicians used the mushrooms as a magical fuel to power their spells; a purely innocent use, or as innocent as anything involving powerful magic could be. However, around reporters, nothing was innocent. Best not to give Hatate any reason to interrogate her for the next hour or so.

"Asking questions and getting scoops are part of the journalistic ethos. So is worthy competition. She has to measure herself against me, and I'm as honest as the next reporter," Hatate said airily.

Alice rolled her eyes. "The next one's Aya."

"Okay, that was a bad example. So, what are your dolls doing with those mushrooms?" the teenaged _tengu_ reporter said, her face a perfect mask of innocent curiosity.

"What mushrooms?" At that moment, Alice fervently wished her mother would damn all reporters. However, she knew Aya well enough to know that the _Bunbunmaru Newsletter_ would be offering a special report from Hell the next day,

"Well, if you want to play it that way, I suppose you and your dolls were just out for an afternoon stroll towards the Kourindou." Hatate said, holding a palm-sized black box towards Alice. The tape recorder whirred ominously. "I would have thought you'd be above that particular fray."

"Believe what you wish," Alice said, eying the strange box Hatate held in her hand. Chances were that no matter what Alice said to defend herself, the _Kakashi Spirit News's _front page would be plastered with lurid speculation about Alice and Rinnosuke's no doubt illicit fictitious affair.

"So, not that you are preparing another doll experiment with those mushrooms, but actually throwing your heart at Rinnosuke's feet to be trampled, do you want to know who's currently the front runner?" Hatate said, speaking into the box, and then holding it out in front of Alice's face.

"Uh-" Alice said, shying away from the device. It had to be _kappa_ technology if the Nitorin Tech logo was anything to go by. Behind Hatate's back, a single Dutch doll slipped out of the brush, sharpening her twin knives.

"Koishi, by two hugs and a kiss on the cheek. Her kiss, his cheek." Two more Dutch dolls crept towards Hatate, each wielding a short straight razor.

"It pains my love struck heart to lose to someone so young," Alice deadpanned, exaggerating the roll of her eyes. A flick of her wrist sent the dolls back under cover.

"That's what Yukari said, if a little less eloquently," Hatate said. She squirmed under the resulting glare. "Oh, alright. She actually said, 'damn that brat,' but the sentiment's there."

"Revising Yukari's words? What happened to journalistic ethics?" Alice replied. Normally, she did not mind Hatate, as the _tengu_ used to avoid the sensationalism that typified _tengu_ reporters. However, she had recently fallen into bad company as she tried to compete with the Queen of Yellow Journalism, Aya Shameimaru.

"Now that I have a big enough scoop to beat Aya's?" Hatate said, taking to the air.

"Don't mention it," Alice muttered. As her dolls returned to her, precious cargo intact, she spoke. "That was rude. You should have come out sooner, and with heavier weapons. Next time, think spikier."

The doll master's procession resumed. Alice chatted idly with her dolls, brainstorming more names while the dolls collected even more mushrooms. Without warning, Alice fell silent. Her lips still moved, but nothing came out. She screamed until her throat grew sore and her face reddened, but not a sound could be heard. Even ambient forest sounds had vanished. There was more sound when a large predator or trigger-happy witch passed through the forest than at the moment.

"Luna," Alice thought, sighing. Luna Child, the moonlight fairy, could manipulate sound, but tended to drown the area in silence in the place of more subtle applications. While some said that she wasn't the brightest fairy in Gensokyo, Alice had once found her planting a trail of coffee beans in front of Lily White in the spring. The fairy of Spring could not resist making seeds grow, and Luna harvested a bumper crop of coffee beans. With luck, the diminutive blonde fairy would be alone on a coffee raid. But where one fairy was, another was sure to appear.

Alice traced a circle around herself. A flash of light later, faint birdsong could be heard once more.

"I told you that I'd share my coffee with you if you would just ask," the doll master called out.

"Hey, no fair messing with Luna like that," Sunny Milk, the fairy of sunlight, whined, poking her head out of a bush. She turned her head and hissed, "Star, get back here!"

The leader of the flight of fairies, Sony had learned that whenever Star Sapphire, the fairy of starlight, vanished, trouble was unavoidably close behind, usually within arm's reach. Star had a nasty tendency to leave her friends to face the consequences of their schemes alone.

So muck for luck. If all three Fairies of Light were around, some poor fool was about to be a victim. Alice sent a command to her Shanghai dolls back at her house to get the guest room ready, just in case.

"Keep your voice down," Luna said from inside a thick tree trunk.

"It's only Alice," a third voice said. Where Star's voice usually was girlishly feminine, this one befit a tomboy.

Only? Alice bristled, but regained her composure. As annoying as fairies tended to be, she'd be worse off losing her temper. That would signal all the fairies in Gensokyo to torment her whenever possible.

"Cirno," Alice groaned. Gensokyo's most infamous fairy caused more trouble than any three fairy flights combined. No magician wanted to be where Cirno plotted her capers, especially when she drafted accomplices.

The ice fairy burst out of a thick pile of leaves. "Hi, Alice. You have any more of those giant dolls? The last one was so much fun to beat up."

Alice snorted as she choked back a laugh. Goliath had run Cirno through the ringer before the doll's unstable mixtures collapsed. Of course, the strongest fairy would think she had won. Correcting her, however, would make the ice fairy's demands for a rematch more insistent. "I'm working on a stronger version." A sly smile brightened the puppeteer's face. "Just for you."

"Cool!" Cirno drawled, beaming.

Looking for the other fairies, Alice did a quick headcount while Sunny dragged Luna from her tree. Star had to be hiding still. Of Gensokyo's six greater fairies, that left-

"SPRIIIING!"

Well-honed preservation instincts took over. Alice dove to the ground as something flew by her ear. Sunny's flight was bad enough when Cirno was around, but if Lily White had joined them…

As leaves and fairy giggles fluttered through the air around her, Alice remembered that spring had already left for the year. She sat up at looked behind her.

"Good one, Dai," Cirno said, rolling on the ground. Dignity and Cirno did not often meet.

Daiyousei laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "I couldn't resist."

"Try harder next time," Alice groaned, wiping leaves from her skirt.

"I'm a fairy. Mischief is my job," Daiyousei said, a satisfied smile gracing her lips.

"So it is. Do I even want to know what you are all up to?" Alice said, shaking her head. "The five of you better not be treasure hunting again."

She had caught Sunny's flight pilfering through her cottage once before. The fairies reacted exactly how one would expect from such pretty little liars. Thinking they were after her grimoire, Alice almost attacked them. Had not a flock of bird exposed Sunny's lies, she would have obliterated them. Of course, they would have revived soon after…

"We're hunting the frog girl," Sunny said, tugging at Luna's arm. With a mighty pull, both girls tumbled out of the tree, landing in Cirno's pile of leaves.

Alice stared dumbfounded. Had she been sipping tea, she would have showered her surroundings with her drink. Suwako Moriya, the ancient earth goddess, would wipe the floor with all six of Gensokyo's greater fairies at once. She might even break a single drop of sweat.

Luna looked up from the pile of leaves. "You don't think we'll do it."

"We'll prove you wrong," Cirno said in singsong.

"Sounds to me like a few fairies are getting a little too big for their britches," Alice said, shaking her head.

"Fairies don't wear britches. We wear dresses like all proper Gensokyo maidens," Daiyousei scolded. Alice wondered how violently Wriggle and Mokou would have responded to the fairy's words.

"Fine. Just don't come crying to me when Suwako beats you," If the fairies insisted on running headlong into their humiliation, Alice saw no need to stop them. A little humility kept the fairies from getting too crazy.

"How can she? I-" Cirno began. She stood with her arms crossed, a smirk of utter confidence on her lips.

"We-" Sunny said, glowering up at the ice fairy. Daiyousei helped both fairies of light to their feet. Dried leaves poured off them.

"I meant 'we,' Sunny," Cirno said, laughing. "We are the strongest!"

A lesser fairy flew towards Sunny and whispered something to her. Her eyes widened as she smiled. "Star found her!"

"Tally-ho!" Daiyousei shouted.

"We're not hunting Ran now, are we?" Luna stammered.

"See ya, Alice," Cirno said, waving, as the four fairies dashed off.

* * *

><p>The dollhouse broiled in chaos. Myriad blonde dolls clad in black or blue swirled through their duties, while the doll master sat in the center, reading and watching. Various spells interpreted and amplified Alice's thoughts, expressions, and movements, animating the various clans of dolls.<p>

Some cleaned her house and cooked, as per their usual duties. Others mashed mushrooms beneath giant stone rolling pins. Still others extracted the magical essences from the mushroom mash using various solvents, that lab coat-clad London dolls fed into serpentine coils of flame-heated glass and copper. Inside, heat separated the essences from each other, purifying them to the high tolerances Alice's experiments demanded.

Every few minutes, Alice would adjust the flame to ensure that the various drips of clear liquid continued to flow out of the glassware. She preferred to tend the flame herself instead of risking her dolls to fire. Three hours of distillation had provided mere grams of usable purified essence, but it was the best way to create the large amounts of extracts without risking the inconvenient side reactions that tended to turn witches into newts.

A series of slow knocks, almost a second apart, rapped at Alice's door. Alice turned the flame off, and drew a privacy curtain in front of the glassware maze. Her dolls stowed the various stages of extracts in opaque glass containers.

"Can I come in?" Suwako chattered through blue lips. Short icicles hung from the brim of her hat.

"Cirno?" Alice looked the goddess up and down, noticing where frost clung to the goddess's purple dress.

"And friends." Suwako shivered as a pair of Shanghai dolls draped a blanket around the goddess's shoulders.

"Ever since the Fairy Wars, those six have been inseparable thorns in Gensokyo's side. Come on in, tea should be ready soon." Alice sighed as she waved the goddess inside. Shanghai and Hourai dolls climbed off their shelves while London dolls began heating a kettle of water.

"Thanks." A single Shanghai doll took the goddess's hand, leading her inside.

"So, what were you doing in the Forest of Magic?" Alice said, turning her head over her should as she rummaged through the doll shelves.

"Moriya shrine business," Suwako said, holding her index finger in front of her mouth as if to hush a child.

"More palladium for Sanae's cold reactor?" Alice's finger traced its way across a shelf at eye level.

The diminutive Queen of the Native Gods shrugged, huddling inside the thick blanket. "It's a secret. Well, for a few more weeks anyway."

"Hopefully, this won't cause another incident."

"Kanako swears she knows what she's doing this time. Besides, I'd be more concerned about Kaguya Houraisan's festival next week. You know what happens when youkai and alcohol mix?" Suwako said, sipping at her cup.

"Sanae makes a pass at an umbrella girl again?" Alice said, turning back around and dusting off a doll that suspiciously looked like Suwako hugging a frog.

Suwako glowered, but otherwise ignored Alice's words. "So, you going?"

"I didn't get an invitation," Alice said. Her smile failed to reach her eyes. She placed the Suwako doll down next to a Shanghai doll with a steaming teacup.

"Really? Everyone I've talked to got one. Even Mokou. It's odd that she forgot you," Suwako said, taking a teacup from a Shanghai doll and sipping from it. "Thank you, little doll."

Alice's face fell. "I don't think Kaguya would forget me. After all, Marisa and I gave her the traditional Gensokyo welcome."

"Alice, the typical Gensokyo welcome involves copious amounts of danmaku," Suwako said.

"Good times," Marisa said. From behind, Alice felt a short tug at her dress.

"Stop running your hands through my pockets," Alice said, swatting at the offending hand.

"You had company. I wasn't about to run my hands anywhere more interesting. After all, a goddess is watching," Marisa said, pulling her hand free. Her voice changed, dripping with child-like innocence. "I might get condemned to Hell."

Suwako laughed, setting the teacup down so a Shanghai doll poured more tea into the cup.

"Stop encouraging her," Alice said, sighing.

"So how long were you standing there?" Alice asked Marisa, and then turned to point at Suwako and the Shanghai doll next to her. "And why didn't you tell me she was there?"

Suwako turned towards the Shanghai doll and whispered into its ear before both giggled.

"Just long enough to hear about Kaguya's party," Marisa said. The witch glowered at the doll master. "Oh, Alice, I ran into Hatate. She said she saw you lurking around Rinnosuke's today."

Alice sighed. It was not like she expected reporters to tell the truth. "Don't believe-"

"I would have thought you of all people would have had more sense than to stick your nose into that hornet's nest. Besides, I've seen you next to Rinnosuke before. Not much chemistry there. But I'd wager you must be feeling a little lonely," Suwako said, interrupting the banter before it began. The doll maker squirmed under the goddess's stare. Alice felt as though Suwako was measuring her against some unknown standard, like a sinner before her judgment. "We need to find you a man."

"WHAT?" Alice and Marisa shouted in unison. The dolls cringed, holding their ears, while the color drained from their master's face.

Suwako continued as if she had never been interrupted. "You're spending too much time wrapped up in this cottage, working on who-knows-what. You should get out more and enjoy your youth. That doesn't mean you need to tomcat like Marisa, just have some fun."

"I do not tomcat!" Marisa protested before pouting. "Most of the guys would rather hit on Komachi or Yuyuko than me."

"It's just a shame to think that one of Gensokyo's prettier flowers is a wallflower." Suwako said.

"Can you not talk about me like I'm one of my dolls?" Alice said.

"A pretty girl like you should need a stick to keep all the guys away-"

"A Master Spark works wonders," Marisa muttered, twisting the brim of her hat in her hands.

Suwako continued, glaring at the witch. "-but you're too aloof, too timid. Don't be ashamed. Most of us needed a little help in the beginning."

"Who are you? My mom?" Alice protested.

The goddess shrugged. "Just an old schemer looking to keep a few of the old skills sharp. Besides, it'll keep the boredom away for both of us, and we all know what the number-one cause of incidents is. I'm sure we can find you a nice man from Sanae's friends-"

"I hope you have better taste than Sanae," Alice said.

A sly smile slid across the goddess's face. "Or do you want something more robust than a mere human male? There's a few wolf _tengu_ that, if I was back in my prime, I wouldn't mind getting lost in the forest with."

Marisa gagged. "I don't know what's worse. Hearing this or hearing this come out of a pipsqueak."

"Sanae's a many times great-grandchild of mine. And, don't tell her, but there's a few other families out there with Moriya blood in them. I only picked this form because faith was fading and, well, if you have to go, might as well be carefree as a child."

"Alice is fine as she is," Marisa said.

Alice sighed, trying to keep the blush out of her cheeks. "Don't you have a granddaughter to play match-maker for?"

Suwako continued with a shrug. "Once you catch the bug, it's hard to stop. Besides, Alice isn't like Sanae…"

"Thank goodness," Marisa muttered under her breath.

"-she's not going to bat her eyes at the first devil that passes by."

"I knew too many when I was growing up," Alice shrugged. Marisa stared at her. "What? I had incubi as playmates until I grew up. They're harmless until you're of age. Don't be surprised, you've met my mother."

Marisa shook her head. "And I thought my family was dysfunctional."

"I meant rascals, not real devils," Suwako said, as a sweat drop formed on her brow. "Anyway, just think about it. No need to rush. But if you want, I can point a couple good men your way at the party."

"What makes you think Alice wants to go?" Marisa protested.

Alice sighed, "I said that I didn't get an invitation."

"You did," Marisa drawled.

"Why did you take it?"

"It wasn't nailed down?"

"What else did you steal from me?"

"Today or in total? I can't remember," Marisa said, grinning. The witch spun slowly in place, flouncing. "Search me."

Alice made a show of wrinkling her nose. "Not until you've had a bath."

Marisa stopped spinning, and wrapped her arm in Alice's. Winking, she pulled the doll master close. "Care to join me?"

"An ice cold bath. I'm sure Cirno can help," Alice said, pushing away from the witch.

"Too young."

"My invitation?"

"I just gave you one."

"My _party _invitation."

"Alright, I'll bring it back. I wouldn't have taken it if I'd known you cared so much," Marisa pouted.

"You would have dragged me there anyway, which I'm sure was your plan in the first place"

"I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dolls too," Marisa said, leering.

Alice turned towards Suwako. "Anyway, how do we know this isn't a plan to keep the umbrella girls, er, undesirables away from your precious Sanae?"

Suwako scowled. "Because I owe you for your hospitality. Besides, if Sanae gets too crazy, we'll just lock her in her room until she regains her senses. Which should be…oh, about until she's fifty, if her mother is anything to go by."

Marisa whistled. "Tough love."

"Suwako, is it too late for you to adopt Marisa?" Alice said, smirking.

"I don't think we have a door that can stop a Master Spark," the goddess said, suppressing a smile as she rewrapped herself in her blanket.

"Even if we asked Nitori for help?"

"Cute. Suwako, why don't you help Reimu instead?" Marisa said. "That's one girl who has taken the maiden thing a little too far. Plus she's the one who needs to produce an heiress, not Alice."

Suwako shook her head and met Marisa's gaze. "I like Reimu. Girl's got a real talent for a fight. But I can't bring myself to help the competition like that."

Marisa shrugged. "Fine. Don't let Reimu say that I didn't try to help her. So, Alice, tell me that you aren't going to let her match make for you."

"Eh-" Alice said, rose blooming in her cheeks. Her eyes bounced back and forth between Suwako and Marisa.

The front door burst open. "Ayaya! Suwako matchmaking for Alice? Has a Goddess of Love finally set up shop in Gensokyo? Avid readers want to know," Aya said, rushing into the room. She carried a small spiral notebook and a pen at the ready.

"You don't have avid readers," Marisa said. She started towards the _tengu_ reporter, interposing herself between the house pest and Alice.

"So, Alice, why the change in heart? Has Gensokyo's famous ice queen finally thawed?" Aya continued, ignoring the ordinary magician. Even before Alice could speak, the notebook filled with dense lines of handwritten prose.

Famous ice queen? Embarrassment flash-boiled into fury. "None of your business!"

The door slammed open, even though it had not been shut. Hatate stood in the doorway, her recorder pointed toward Alice's living room. "What's this? Gensokyo's most infamous reporter harassing the public? Alice, what do you think of the unscrupulous lack of journalistic integrity by one Aya Shameimaru?"

"Get out," Alice said, as the younger _tengu_ reporter pushed her way inside.

Aya turned towards her rival and snickered. "Your prose is as purple as your skirt. Do your parents know you're out past curfew? I'd hate to have Momiji go to all that trouble to retrieve a misguided fledgling. Again."

"Get out!" Alice repeated. At her side, her hands balled into fists.

Hatate strode up to Aya and shoved her recorder into her rival's face. "Such cattiness should be beneath a professional-"

Aya set her pen and paper down before she swatted Hatate's toy away. "Little chick, you have to have sales before you can call yourself a professional." The pen continued to scribble against the paper as Aya spoke.

"Buying your own paper doesn't count," Suwako muttered from beneath her blanket.

Alice ground her teeth. Death flashed in her eyes, yet the two _tengu_ did not notice the Witch of Death's fury. Her hands toyed with the chain binding the grimoire that suddenly appeared in her hands.

Hatate looked up at her one-time hero and smiled innocently. "I have the perfect intro for my article. Want to hear it? It starts with, 'dripping a trail of slime wherever she goes, Aya-'"

"LEAVE!" Alice screamed.

"I'm still a little too cold to properly teach those two manners. Marisa?" Suwako said; sweat rolling down her brow as she eyed Alice.

"On it," Marisa said, flashing a predatory grin. Pulling her elemental furnace from her apron pocket, she tossed it into the air and caught it. A crescendoing hum emanated from her hand as she pointed the furnace at the dueling reporters. "Alice, what say you to blackbird pie tonight?"

"Blackbird pie?" the two crow _tengu_ repeated, as the phrase cut through their squabble. Each turned towards Marisa, blanching at the glowing furnace in the witch's hand.

"Roasted squab, coming right up! MASTER-" Marisa said, winking at the blackbird reporters.

"Not in the house!" Alice shrieked. The ordinary witch caused extraordinary collateral damage.

The two crow _tengu_ flew through the window, taking to the air as a bright beam of coherent light chased them. Marisa grabbed a nearby broom and followed.

"Oh my, a little too much commotion for my tastes. I think I'll nap for a bit. Remember what we talked about, though," Suwako said, slipping off the couch and staggering towards a guest room. The dolls followed her, running.

"Hey, who is going to help me fix that?" Alice shouted, alone.

* * *

><p>While Suwako slumbered under the watchful eyes of three Orleans dolls, Alice leafed through a thick alchemical tome borrowed from the Voile Library. Next to that tome, a thin spiral notebook sat open; its lines cluttered in a small, neat script. With each turn of the page, another set of lines filled the notebook.<p>

Although Alice wanted to keep her notes secret, she refused to use a cipher. A certain magical cat burglar tended to leaf through her notes, and the quickest way to pique Marisa's interest was to go out of one's way to cover one's tracks. Make it look unimportant, and the ordinary magician would pass it over.

In the margin of her notebook, Alice sketched a set of alchemical equations. But before she could solve the series, a loud knock pierced her concentration. Alice sighed, rolled her eyes and went to the door.

When she opened it, she saw Luna hold out a small white bag tied by a pink ribbon. "This is for the frog girl, to help her warm up."

Alice caught the faint aroma of coffee beans. "That's sweet of you, Luna. Why don't you stay and I'll brew some for the both of you."

"No, I really should be going," Luna said. Her eyes flickered away from Alice, towards the treeline.

"Why's that?" Alice said, then she caught a shimmer of light heading towards her guest room out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm a decoy?" Luna said, dropping the bag and running away.

Alice frowned. If Luna was running away, that shimmer had to be-

"Sunny-" Turning the fairy's name into a curse, Alice turned to chase the shimmer of light.

"Perfect Freeze!" The call echoed from the guest room.

"Aauu-" Suwako's cry was cut off.

How dare they violate her hospitality like that? Alice face reddened, as did the eyes of all her dolls.

A legion of war dolls chased Cirno, Sunny, and Luna out of the Forest of Magic.

* * *

><p>Alice crumpled up the latest issue of the <em>Kakashi Spirit News <em>and threw it into the fire. The flames licked around a trio of photos of Rinnosuke, Suwako, and Alice before consuming each.

A stream of fur-clad Russian dolls hauled chunks of ice away from the guest room. The ant-like line bowed around Suwako's supine form, unconscious before the fire. Three Orleans dolls slumbered next to her, all four wrapped in blankets.

"I can't believe that ice fairy actually triggered Suwako's hibernation reflex. So much misfortune today. I really need to visit Hina soon." A Shanghai doll sitting next to Alice shook her head. "You're right. Hina can only handle so much at a time."

"What's with the glacier out here?" Marisa called out from outside the house.

"Eep!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Marisa said. Alice heard scuffling and ice breaking. She sighed and opened the door.

"Is this house pest yours?" Marisa asked, pushing Cirno through the doorway.

"She froze my guest room solid-" Alice began, glaring at the ice fairy.

"Well, well, pipsqueak, I've got to say impressed," Marisa said, smiling.

"-while Suwako was inside."

Marisa whistled. "Freezing a goddess? Do you even know what 'self-preservation' means?"

"Um, hi, Alice? Is Suwako okay?" Cirno said sheepishly. The ice fairy's eyes refused to meet Alice's.

"She's fine, just sleeping," Alice said, softening her features into something having a passing resemblance to calm patience.

"Everything turned out okay," Cirno insisted, squirming under Alice's stare.

"True, but it might not have. Your power ran away from you and almost seriously hurt Suwako. You were so reckless that I think you should leave before I forget that you're a friend of my friends."

Cirno's face fell. "But-"

"Now, come on, Alice, you know full well that we'll all laugh about this in a week. Even Suwako will," Marisa protested.

Alice looked up from the ice fairy. "And I want to laugh about it then. But I need time. Cirno, you attacked someone under my roof, and damaged my house. Please let me cool down so we can laugh together the next time we meet."

"I hope the strongest fairy knows a little carpentry, because I think Alice will need some help repairing her guest room," Marisa said, laying a heavy hand upon the fairy's shoulder.

Alice suppressed a sigh. The witch was only trying to be helpful. "We can talk about that later. Until then, Cirno, I know that you have somewhere else you need to be."

Cirno nodded. Marisa released her collar, and the fairy dashed away.

Marisa waited for Cirno to disappear before closing the door behind her. "Touching as that was, I'm not sure you needed to do that. You know she'll forget your anger before you will."

"Being a hostess carries certain responsibilities. You'd know that if you ever had anyone over," Alice said, slumping against a wall.

Marisa blanched. "What, and spend an entire week cleaning first? No thanks."

"Only a week?" Alice groaned. Marisa's house was a natural disaster. Rubble after a cataclysmic earthquake was more organized than the witch was, and would be cleaned up faster too.

The packrat magician dug through a small coin purse, pulling free a small card. "Anyway, here it is. One ticket to Eternity Manor's shindig. Hopefully you're not planning on a blind date or two."

"Suwako's not helping me," Alice groaned. A Shanghai doll walked up to Marisa. With a jump, she snagged the invasion out of the witch's hand.

"Pity," Marisa said, exaggerating a pout. "I have no one to scare now."

"Worry more about your lack of suitors," Alice said. She snapped her fingers, and four dolls carried a chair to her.

"Why? It's more fun to chase than to be chased," Marisa said, straddling the back of a nearby chair.

The proper puppeteer rolled her eyes as she sat primly. "Some would say that's not exactly lady-like."

"That's fine. I'm not exactly a lady, I'm a witch. You going?" Marisa said, pointing to the invitation the Shanghai doll paraded around the room.

"What if I said I was washing my hair?"

"Boring," Marisa said. Her eyes narrowed in appraisal and she spoke again, huskily. "Make it a little more, and you'll have my interest."

The puppeteer rolled her eyes. "I forgot. 'Love the one you're with?'"

Marisa winked. "I would if she'd let me."

The puppeteer sighed. "Don't you ever stop? Wait, don't answer that. Just help me get Suwako back to her shrine." Alice stood up, and a flock of dolls clustered around her skirts.

"Think they'll blame us for this? I'd rather not have to sit through another of Kanako's lectures," Marisa asked, still sitting in her chair.

"At least she's not Eki_," _Alice said. The Judge of Paradise's infamous lectures lasted for what seemed like an eternity for those she cornered. "But knowing Kanako, I bet she'll just laugh at a goddess that got beat up by Cirno."

Marisa frowned. "I'm not laughing. That little punk is getting slicker with her danmaku."

"Aw, did the widdle ice fairy beat you up too?" Alice said, snickering.

A knock on the door interrupted the banter. A London doll opened it, revealing the white-eared visitor. Tewi Inaba stood in the doorway, dressed in a pinstripe suit. Bright light gleamed off her now golden carrot medallion. She brandished a Thompson machine gun that would have been more menacing had the word "Airsoft" not featured prominently on the barrel.

"What's up, Nerd Girls," she said, her greeting punctuated by the click of a switchblade comb.

"Little Bunny Fufu," Marisa said, holding a spell card behind her back. With Tewi, a little extra insurance was always warranted.

"I don't want to see you," Alice said, groaning. Yet another interruption and like the others, this one would undoubtedly end in tears.

Mobster Tewi laughed, and then intoned gravely. "It's not what you want, it's what _she _wants."

Alice snickered behind her hand as Marisa's face blanched. The witch crumpled the spell card in her fist. "Tell Eirin I've already had my checkup this year."

"Don't laugh," Tewi said, flashing a toothy grin. "Eirin's developed a taste for blondes, and she's always found blue eyes irresistible."

The doll master's giggling turned into a coughing fit. Dr. Eirin Yagoroko's wandering hands were legendary. "I don't need a check-up either."

"Not her," Tewi said. "The Princess wants to see you. Her compliments and all that royal rubbish, but you are going to see her. All three of you."

"Three?" Alice said, her eyes narrowing.

"You, Madame Kirisame, and the tadpole goddess," the trickster rabbit said, patting the side of her Airsoft machine gun. Marisa frowned at being called a madame, as most witches did. She was still a maiden, still too young to be a mother, and decades too young to be a crone…

"How did you know about Suwako," Alice said, staring down the trickster.

"The night has a thousand eyes," Tewi said, smiling.

"So, short stuff, how do you think you're getting us there? Got an army?" Marisa snapped.

Tewi whistled and rabbits poured out of the bushes and the treeline. Each of the bunny horde wore 1930s mobster suits and had armed themselves accordingly. They leveled their model weapons at the magicians. "Funny you should say that."

"What, no woman in red?" Marisa asked, looking for the film noir staple.

"Reisen ran away before we could squeeze her into the dress," Tewi said, flouncing before smiling once more. "Hey, a girl's got to have her fun. So, do you need help carrying Suwako?"

"Reisen let you do this?"

"As if I need her permission to do anything," Tewi said, smirking. The trickster waved a hand forward. Immediately, four rabbits, including one silver-haired twin of Tewi, carried a stretcher into Alice's house. "Besides, she's got her own errand to run."

* * *

><p>Reisen Udongein Inaba, the Lunatic Hare, walked along the path to the Hakurei shrine. Instead of her usual dress which fell somewhere between too cute schoolgirl and hot secretary, she wore a solemn black suit with a tight skirt. Some occasions warranted the formality.<p>

"Hi, Reisen," Reimu Hakurei said. The shrine maiden sat in front of her shrine, sipping tea as she perused an old scroll.

The moon hare walked up to Reimu, executing a precise turn. Standing at attention, she opened her mouth.

"Why so formal?" Reimu asked, placing the scroll and the teacup down at her side.

Reisen remained at attention. "Princess Kaguya Houraisan sends her compliments and requests your presence at Eternity Manor at your earliest convenience."

"My, what a mouthful." Reimu said, fixing the white-eared hare in a level gaze. "So why should I interrupt my studies to visit your princess?"

Reisen laughed, relaxing. The priestess was known for her laziness, not her studies. "Why do you think? There's an incident afoot."

A wide smile lit up the shrine maiden's face. "You've definitely caught my attention. So, does your princess also want you to escort me too?"

"I'm sure you know the way," Reisen said, shaking her head. Reimu had trashed the manor during an earlier incident. "But I am curious about what you're studying."

Reimu sighed. "Something my predecessor wrote about places of power. She thought the shrine was built on one, or that's what I think she's saying. Her prose can be thick at times."

"So you're grateful for the break," Reisen said.

The priestess nodded. "You have no idea. There's a reason why no Hakurei maiden has ever written a bestseller. You sure you don't want to come with me?"

"I have to meet up with Tewi. Someone's got to keep her out of trouble."

Reimu suppressed a smile, but not the twinkle in her eye. No one could control Tewi. "Suit yourself."

Reisen drew herself back to attention and spun on her heels. As she walked away, she hazarded a glance back at the once lazy priestess now joyfully ransacking her shrine in preparation for the fight awaiting her.


	2. The Character of Trouble

_**Look to the Eastern Sky**_

_**Book One of the Clockwork Devils**_

_**Written by Achariyth**_

_The night before Cirno learned how to freeze a goddess, Mokou, Duchess Fujiwara, crept through the night shadows of Eternity Manor's outer wall. Her eyes searched for her sworn enemy, Kaguya Houraisan. Her dad had always been a rampant skirt chaser, but Kaguya had no business turning Duke Fujiwara away so shamefully. Since that refusal, Mokou had dedicated her now eternal life to ending Kaguya's before the exiled moon princess reciprocated in bloody kind. However, thanks to the Hourai Elixir and its immortal gift, both women considered death to be a minor inconvenience._

_Before Mokou could get her hands around Kaguya's throat, she had to sneak past her rabbit retainers. This night truly did have a thousand eyes and five hundred loud and gossipy mouths. If Kaguya found out that Mokou prowled the night, in the morning it would be Mokou, not Kaguya, covered in honey and staked out in the bamboo as an offering to Wriggle Nightbug's ant friends._

_To Mokou's surprise, a pillar of moonlight opened up before her. She scrambled back into the shadows, as an ashen-haired woman in a white blouse and reddish jumper descended holding a sword in both hands. As the woman's feet touched the ground, her eyes opened. Mokou recognized the features as reminiscent of Kaguya's._

_The moonlight woman frowned. "I see you. Step towards the light."_

_Mokou scowled and stepped closer, slipping a spell card from her pocket. If she ran, Kaguya would undoubtedly ensure she died tired. Maybe the woman would make a mistake and allow Mokou to knock her out before Kaguya could be warned._

_The woman spoke through a moue of disgust. "You drank the Elixir."_

_Mokou's scowl deepened. "So?"_

"_Abomination." The pillar of light faded into a beam of moonlight, vanishing as the moon hid behind a cloud._

_Mokou recoiled at the familiar accusation. "If you continue speaking like that, I will burn that smart mouth of yours shut."_

_Princess Yorihime Watatsuki laughed, dipping the point of her scabbard into the earth. "None here on Earth has been able to take as much as a hair from my head. I doubt someone as common as you could."_

_Common? As the last of the true Fujiwara of the Hokke _sept_, Mokou was the only direct kin to the _taiko_, or retired regents of Japan, still alive. In truth, because Mokou lived in Gensokyo, she was the only living Fujiwara eligible to hold any title at all. "Ask Kaguya how many times she's gasped away her last breaths, only to see her heart beat its last in my hand."_

"_An abomination and a murderess. I must leave before the taint of your being corrupts me. I pray this is the last I see of you," Princess Yorihime said, calling over her shoulder as she walked away from Mokou._

"_Keep talking, and I promise you we'll meet again. It'll be a scream," Mokou called out. She sighed. Another night's work ruined. Turning around, she startled as an arrow point tapped her nose. Instinctively, Mokou's eyes defocused, crossing to get a better view of the broadhead arrow pressed against the tip of her nose._

"_My dear Mokou," Kaguya said with a feral smile. She held Eirin's bow drawn, bowstring quivering under the strain, pointed between Mokou's eyes. "Come with me or I'll make you into a skewer for Rumia. Please, by all means, be a dear and resist."_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2 - The Character of Trouble<strong>

_The word for trouble is drawn as two women under the same roof._

-The traditional warning Gensokyo fathers pass to their sons against two-timing and polygamy. Recorded with disgust by Lady Akyu Hieda, Ninth Child of Miare.

* * *

><p>"Where is she?" Sanae Kochiya said, pacing in front of the Eternity Manor's courtyard gate. The Wind Priestess of the Moreya cast furtive glances towards the edge of the bamboo forest.<p>

"Relax, Priestess Kochiya," Reisen, a lop-eared lunar hare, said. The current pet of the Watatsuki princesses, she was shorter than her namesake, the straight-eared Reisen Udongein Inaba. Forced to deal with a priestess of a wounded goddess, returning to the moon sounded more attractive every moment.

Sanae spun around, her hands twisting the snake charm in her hair. "I told you, Priestess Kochiya is my mother. Call me Sanae."

"Okay, Sanae, then," Reisen began, holding her hands out in front of her body. "Calm down. You're walking a groove in Princess Kaguya's stonework-"

Sanae glared at the exaggeration, flouncing into a quick turn. The priestess's footsteps slapped against the stone path.

Reisen shook her head, her smile growing strained. "Listen to me, Tewi said-"

The priestess whirled around, advancing on Reisen. The hare took a step back, keeping her outstretched arms up and in the space between the two girls. "I don't care what that joker said. She's hurt badly, I know it!"

Reisen blinked. Sure, fairies had attacked Suwako Moriya, but she failed to see how those little pests could have caused any significant injury. But she assumed she would react similarly to Sanae if Princess Yorihime was hurt. The lunar hare's eyes widened, however, as winds billowed beneath the priestess's skirts. As she shot into the air, a cloud of dust and leaves rushed away from Sanae's launching point. Reisen threw up an arm in front of her face as she rode out the buffet and shock.

As the hare watched the priestess pace her way through the skies over Eternity Manor, her ear twitched.

_Don't worry about her. She's just excitable._ The thought burst into her mind, as though someone had shouted it with a megaphone. In her mind's eye, Reisen saw the image of the sender, a tall long-eared hare with lavender tresses and red eyes.

The lunar pet smiled at the sending from her namesake. For the first time since arriving at Eternity Manor in the middle of the night, Reisen finally felt at home. The Moon was filled with the moon hares' telepathic chatter, and while the earth rabbits made up for the lack with silliness, audacity, and non-stop gossip, Earth felt oddly subdued without it. _I thought you were busy._

_I am. But that's no excuse for not telling me you were coming. _Disapproval tinged Reisen Udongein Inaba's message. The elder hare was known by her nickname of Udonge.

Reisen winced, sending apology and shame across the link. _Princess Yorihime insisted._

Terror and the instinct to run and hide flooded back across the hares' telepathic network. _She's here?_

_Something's come up. Something major. You need- _Reisen began, sending images of urgency to Udonge. Above her, Sanae cried out. _Listen, I got to go. Sanae's seen something._

_Fine. No more secrets, though. When I get there, you and I are going to have a long talk. No Tewi either, I promise. _Udonge sent, attaching a wry smile and an empty cocktail glass to her words.

_The carrot mojitos are on me. _Reisen promised, laughing. The cocktail glass in her mind's eye filled with an orange liquid

_You do realize she's getting away. _The elder rabbit sent, bemused.

Reisen looked at the sky, searching for the speck that was Sanae Kochiya. Cursing, she bounded once, twice and again a third time before her legs launched her into the air.

* * *

><p>"Let me in!" Sanae Kochiya howled. She pounded on the door to Eirin's medical clinic with both hands.<p>

Two taller than average members of the Inaba Family Mafia, still in pin stripes, walked up behind the priestess. Each Made Bunny slipped an arm underneath the girl's shoulders and dragged her away. Sanae shook herself out of the bunnies' grip and rushed back to the clinic door. It opened, and Boss Tewi Inaba, still in her mobster outfit and golden carrot, stepped outside followed by two very feminine bunny-girls.

As Sanae and Tewi argued, Marisa whistled. "Oh I so want to shoot them."

Alice rolled her eyes. The two magicians walked through Eternity Manor's courtyard, a Shanghai doll in tow. "Cut that out."

Marisa palmed her elemental furnace, eyeing the crowd by the clinic door. "Just one little Master Spark? Please?"

"No!" Alice hissed. "What did they do to you?"

"Tewi found me while I was sunbathing, although where she found that ice is anyone's guess. So I start chasing her, and there's this flash of light, followed by more. The little monster had run me right in front of Aya's camera," Marisa said, glowering. "The next day, I'm Aya's newest Page Two girl."

In an attempt to bolster sales, Aya had tried a similar strategy to what certain British papers used, namely, printing pictures of scantily clad young women. Or in Marisa's case, not clad at all. The practice lasted for a time until Aya published a candid picture of Sakuya, whose objections were as sharp and pointed as the knives she used to make them. To both Marisa's and Sakuya's chagrin, the Sakuya issue became the only issue of the Bunbunmaru newspaper to be sought after by collectors.

"Little Bunny Fufu deserves a good roasting," Marisa snarled, squeezing her elemental furnace.

"And Sanae?" Alice asked, trying to change the subject.

"Who? Little Miss Perfect?" Marisa said, a small smile returning to her face. "If I had her-"

Alice shushed the witch and pointed towards where Tewi and Sanae had suddenly stopped their fight. Instead, the four girls of their group faced towards the East and pointed to a thick pillar of grey smoke growing on the horizon.

"What's that?" Alice said, squinting as she peered at the horizon.

Marisa shrugged, grabbing the doll master's arm. "Who cares? It's past the barrier."

"Have you no curiosity?" Alice said, as Marisa pulled on her arm.

"Sure I do. I'm curious as to Sanae's face when she sees we got inside the clinic when she couldn't," Marisa whispered, leading Alice past the priestess's turned back and to the clinic's door.

Alice stepped through the doorway, flashing a glare at Marisa. The witch held the door open with a showy flourish more often seen on a beau trying to impress his lady fair. "Cut that out."

"Got to make a good impression," Marisa cooed. "Don't want you to forget me when Suwako hooks you up with something tall, dark, and handsome."

"Suwako's not running my love life," Alice snapped, shooting a frosty look at the witch. "Besides, she's uncon- Hey! Get away from her!"

Inside the clinic, at the far end of the row of beds, a grey haired figure in a red jumper stood over the sleeping Suwako Moriya, a hand settled on the child goddess's brow. At Alice's shout, the figure glanced up, rolled her eyes, and continued her ministrations.

Alice stepped forward, spell card and Shanghai doll at the ready. Marisa rushed into the room, squeezing past Alice before blocking the puppeteer's path with an outstretched arm.

"She's a lowdown dirty cheat at _danmaku_," Marisa hissed, her free hand cupping her elemental furnace behind her back.

"I learned from my teacher," the figure said without looking up. "As you would know." The ordinary witch had introduced the spell card duel to the Moon during the last Lunar war.

"What is she talking about?" Alice hissed. "Who is she?"

"Princess Yorihime of the Moon," Marisa said. "You know how Reimu can channel the gods? Moonbitch over there can do the same thing. Think of her as the anti-Reimu."

"Sweet-tempered, humble, and demure?" Alice deadpanned.

"Married."

"What business do two rude little commoners have with me?" Yorihime said, tracing a pattern on Suwako's forehead.

Alice seethed at the royal's words. In the proper light, she could be considered a princess herself. And unlike most royalty, everyone eventually bowed the knee to her mother. Ducking under Marisa's arm, she demanded, "What are you doing to Suwako?"

"I have no duty to explain myself to one so riddled with an unclean taint as you."

"Remember, she cheats," Marisa said, looping her arms around the puppeteer's waist.

"Unclean?" Alice said, balling her fists.

"Hey, Alice is quite clean. She bathes every day. I should know, I watch her all the time," Marisa called out. She placed her head between Alice's shoulder blades, ducking a thrown elbow by a moment. Alice sputtered, red-faced.

Yorihime rolled her eyes and knelt down. "A witch of death she is. If not for that, she would be more pleasant than you."

"Wanna rematch? Anyone Reimu can beat, I can beat faster," Marisa called out from behind Alice.

The red faded in Alice's cheeks as Yorihime's words sunk in. "I've not been called that in a long time." For a moment, the young girl of Makai appeared in her features. "But that still doesn't explain your presence near Suwako."

"I still owe my old teacher a service. We will need this Pure One's strength soon."

"Old teacher?" Alice said, blinking.

"You know her as Lady Yagokoro. Now will you leave me to my duty?" Yorihime said in a huff.

"No, we'll stay and watch you. Just letting you know that if you harm her, we won't hurt you. We will hand you over to her priestess," Marisa said, dropping onto a nearby bed. "I'll be pissed that Sanae gets the honor of thrashing you, but then you'll have to deal with the embarrassment of being beaten by Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes. I'd rather die myself, but it's your choice."

Yorihime closed her eyes and bared her sword, holding it out in front of her with cupped hands. As she spoke, a white aura cloaked her form. "Dream of the Endless, King of All Night's Dreaming, I ask you to release this goddess from your realm."

The aura moved from Yorihime to Suwako, before settling within. The frog goddess squirmed as though trying to burrow into the mattress. Yorihime watched as the girl's eyes flicked open.

"What did she do?" Alice asked, staring at the princess and the goddess.

Marisa snickered at Alice. "And you call yourself a magician."

"What's going on in here?" Sanae said, barreling into the room. Alice ducked out of her way.

"Sanae, keep it down," Suwako groaned as she sat up. She looked down at her clothes. "Ew, I'm in a hospital gown."

"Suwako!" Sanae squealed, rushing down the aisle and scooping up the goddess in a bear hug.

"Can't. Breathe." Suwako gasped, her arms flailing in Sanae's embrace.

Alice looked at Marisa. "I guess we should thank that princess."

But Yorihime was no longer in sight.

* * *

><p>The clinic's door burst outward. Marisa fell through the space it once occupied, sprawling into the middle of the courtyard. Immediately, a crowd of rabbits surrounded her, watching the impending street theater. The bunny girls did have enough presence of mind, however, to part ways as Alice stormed through their circle.<p>

Marisa backed away from the Rainbow Puppeteer, her hands held in front of her. "Alice, hold on-"

"You've been watching me while I bathe?" Alice said, shaking a fist. Her Shanghai doll swung an oversized mace appraisingly.

"Come on, you can't be serious. It took you like ten minutes to work up that anger," Marisa said incredulously. She leapt to her feet as the Shanghai doll swung at her leg in earnest.

"You spied on me," Alice said, red flooding her cheeks. She grabbed Marisa's collar and pulled the witch in close.

"Look, I helped you out. Moonbitch was about to swat you like a fly," Marisa said, squirming against Alice's grasp. "Besides, it's not like I could get close enough to see anything."

"So now I'm flat?" Alice shouted. Reason had long given way to anger.

"Oh, don't you even go there," Marisa hissed. "Do you think I'm happy that everyone younger than me is also larger?"

"I'm sure I can find a drug for that," Reisen Udongein Inaba said, as she came close. "Complete in 'Modestly Large,' 'Yukari,' and 'Komachi's Jealous" sizes."

"Oh, Miss Playboy Bunny has to rub it in," Marisa snarled. Alice bared her teeth, but she calmed as she met the Lunatic Hare's red eyes.

"At least I didn't bare it all for Aya," Reisen said, ignoring Marisa's scowl. "Well, what little you have. Try not to get too jealous around the others, especially Remilia."

"Joke about the Mistress like that again, and I'll use you for Meiling's next rabbit test," Sakuya snapped as she drew close, Youmu in tow. The rabbit test was an early form of pregnancy test. Depending on the outcome, it could portend good news or bad news, but it was always bad news for the rabbit.

"Sakuya, please calm down. Everyone's on edge," Youmu said. She placed a hand on Alice's shoulder.

No one understood how the athletically graceful, yet girlish Youmu and the classy, mature Sakuya had bonded. Sakuya always claimed a lady should hold a few secrets, a point usually made upon a sharp edge. Those who cornered Youmu for her explanation had to sift through stammers and squeals. What was evident, even to the most blind, was that Youmu idolized the Scarlet Devil's maid, to neither girl's displeasure.

"Seriously, Marisa, chill. Everyone's watching you make a fool out of yourself and our meeting's about to start," Reisen said, backing away from the witch as she stared her down. With her ability to control emotions, the lunar hare diffused the situation and led the group into the great hall, where a familiar shrine maiden in red and white waved at the group.

"Over here," Reimu said

"Heya, Reimu, drink all of Kaguya's tea yet?" Marisa said as the group walked over.

"Good evening, Reimu. Have any idea as to what's going on?" Sakuya said.

"Reisen did say this was an incident. How about I beat on whoever crosses my path until someone tells me what's going on," Reimu said, raising an eyebrow. "I could start with you, if you're feeling froggy."

"And miss out on tea?" Sakuya said, yawning demurely behind a hand.

"So that's why Kaguya's getting together everyone who beat her," Youmu said, nodding.

"And Sanae too."

"Her presence I blame on some goddess's cruel whimsy," Reimu said.

"Stumble over a name in your prayers?" Marisa said.

"More like she forgot to say any," Alice said, laughing

"Funny. You two should go on stage," Reimu said.

"So, any thoughts about this 'incident?'" Alice asked.

"Not really. What's Kanako up to these days?" Reimu asked.

"She has been at the center of a few of them."

"Like a bad penny, she always turns up," Marisa said.

"She's doing what she thinks is best for Gensokyo, and if I so much as think you're maligning my goddess-" Sanae said, looming over the witch.

"Calm down, Sanae. Reimu and Marisa didn't mean anything," Alice said, crossing her fingers behind her.

"This time," muttered the priestess and the witch.

"Tread carefully. One of my goddesses was attacked today. Do you think I'm in the mood for this?" Sanae said.

"Ah, why's everyone so catty? Is there a boy involved?" Yuyuko asked, materializing behind Youmu.

"Lady Yuyuko, of course not!" Youmu stammered.

"Pity. Well, when you finally do bring a boy home, make sure he brings a brother or friend. It's only fair," Yuyuko said. Her lips pursed into a moue of disappointment. The Hakurei maiden choked on her tea.

"Just make sure he survives, this time," Yukari said, with Ran trailing behind her. The fox girl had her usual mysteriously playful smile.

"That's not fair, Yukari. He did say he wanted to stay with me," Yuyuko pouted.

"And you tired of him after fifty years or so."

"True, but those were fifty better years than he could have had while alive. I heard no complaints."

"Ugh, who wants to hear about a bunch of old hags reminiscing about their misspent youth," Remilia said as she approached. Yuyuko hid her displeasure behind her fan.

"Oh, look, it's the eternal child," Yukari said, scowling. "Maybe if you were mature enough to know what you were missing, you wouldn't chide us for our…entertainments."

"What's so entertaining about Rinnosuke turning you down again and again?" Remilia asked, her hands on her hips.

"I think that if I were alive, I'd want Mokou's gift. Old enough to have fun, yet young enough not to worry about aging. You know, like me, just alive," Yuyuko said, interrupting Yukari before the red-faced _youkai_ could speak.

"That's the fun of being a god," Suwako said, bursting from the ground. "You can be whatever age that suits your fancy."

"And you chose to be a little girl," Yukari said.

Suwako placed her hands on her hips and preened. "Sanae got her looks from me."

"From Kanako, maybe," Yukari said.

"You couldn't handle the competition," Suwako said, flouncing circles around Yukari. The boundary _youkai _rolled her eyes.

The door opened. A single rabbit resplendent in ornate robes stepped into the room. "Please rise for Their Royal Highnesses."

Alice and Marisa shared an inquisitive look as they rose to their feet, along with the rest of the room. Kaguya glided into the room, followed by Yorihime, Eirin, and Tewi. As the princesses' party sat in the seats at the front of the room, Eirin made her way to the center podium and motioned for the room to sit. "Thank you for coming. For those of us who have not met yet, I am Eirin Yagokoro-"

Reisen cleared her throat. Eirin looked ate her quizzically and then rolled her eyes. "That is, Duchess Imbrium, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Tsukuyomi Court to Earth, and seneschal to the Lady of Eternity Manor. Happy now, Udonge?"

"Quite," Reisen Udongein Inaba said, smiling. Eirin shook her head. Behind her, almost unseen, three rabbits pushed a bound Mokou into the room and to a chair hidden in the shadows.

"On behalf of the mistress of the manor, welcome to the manor. Please, take your pleasure in our hospitality. But beware. Molest the rabbits in any way," Eirin said, glaring at Ran before shifting it to Mokou. "Or use any _danmaku_ at all, and we'll give you to Rumia in a doggy bag. If you're lucky, you might even be dead first."

Marisa whistled. "I never thought that Lady Kaguya would be so harsh."

"Princess Kaguya is not," Eirin said, emphasizing the new title. The duchess flashed a glare at Reisen before the hare could interject her correction. "The Lady of the Manor is far more pragmatic. But, please enter and enjoy yourselves. Only those with malice in their hearts need worry about the Lady's justice."

Alice whispered to Reisen. "What was that about?"

"Princess Yorihime gave Duchess Yagokoro and Princess Kaguya their Lunar titles back," Reisen said, elated.

"What does that make you?"

"Stew, if my retainer forgets her duties," Eirin said from her podium.

"Her Grace is such a kidder," Reisen said, sweat rolling down her brow.

"Cut that 'Her Grace' crap," the duchess said, glowering.

Remilia and Sakuya groaned. Remilia said, "Out of all the manors on earth, she had to come here."

"Relax, ladies, I have no need to resume our little play from the moon. There's no reason to beat you at your home," Yorihime said, shrugging.

"Remind me to introduce you to my sister. She could use a new playmate," Remilia replied, balling her fists at her side.

"Not now, you two," Eirin said, sighing. "Yorihime, if you could start your brief?"

"Where should I start?" the Moon's princess asked.

"At the beginning," Eirin said.

"-And continue to the end. Right," Yorihime said. Then, as if by rote, she spoke. "'In the beginning was the Word-'"

"Not that far back."

Yorihime turned to face the assembled crowd. "We all know that 400 years ago, Newton replaced the laws of magic with the laws of nature. Since then, magic has been on the decline on Earth. With the advent of the Apollo invasion, the decline affected the Moon as well."

"Thus the sanctuaries. Gensokyo, Fiddler's Green, the Kingdom of Prester John, the Seven Cities of Cibola, and the Otherworld are the best known examples. But this isn't about those, is it?" Yukari said.

"No. This decline has affected other worlds as well. Rather, other worlds have taken the laws of nature as well, and suffered the same decline. We call it 'Newtons Sleep,' even if most of those worlds would not recognize who Newton was."

"This is fascinating, of course, but I don't think we here have the power to reverse 400 years of decline. Nor do I think such pedantry is why you've come to Earth. And all this secrecy isn't to give Kaguya back her titles and place in the Court of Selene-" Remilia said.

"Tsukuyomi-" Yorihime growled, emphasizing each syllable.

"It could be Diana for all I care. Get to the point already, or I'm sure Flandre will tear this place down looking for me before you finish."

"Mistress, I would not be so eager to offer offense-" Sakuya said, her smile strained.

"You know my sister. How long do you think Meiling can keep her out of trouble?"

Sakuya's brow furled. "Two seconds?"

Remilia sighed and bowed her head. Youmu and Sakuya joined her in quiet contemplation. "Poor Meiling."

Yorihime bristled and snapped. "Fine, you're all likely to be attacked by a magic-sucking monstrosity that even Toyohime would struggle to escape from. There, happy?"

Eirin sighed, shaking her head. "Yorihime…"

Alice watched the others. Without fail, excitement and murmurs rippled through the Gensokyo's trouble-shooters. Granted, life in Gensokyo tended to be too idyllic, with boredom being the primary cause of problems…

"Lemme guess, other worlds? So, more aliens? Is this a friend of yours? Or maybe Nue's?" Sanae asked.

"Hardly. If you would let me continue," Yorihime said, glaring at Remila. It was returned with full force. "I need to tell a bit more about history."

"The Arabs and other Mesopotamian peoples have stories of devils and presences that most of you could recognize as their version of _youkai_. Two of these are of interest, the Ifrit and the Blue Djinn. Said to be mortal enemies, their battles have been said to lay waste to many of the city-states of Mesopotamia, as well as the ancient empires of Mitanni, Atlantis, and Kassite Babylon. It is said by some that certain Mesoamerican disasters and Tunguska were signs of their continuing war.

"The Ifrit is considered to be just below the angels. Unmistakably female, she acts to protect humanity using 'miracles' that include fire from on high and control of lighting and hail. The mortal enemy of the Blue Djinn, many cultures sacrificed to her. It is said by some of the Catalans, once you pierce through the veils of myth, that the blood sacrifices of the Azteca were to lengthen the Ifrit's lifespan beyond 2012.

"The Blue Djinn, on the other hand, is inherently more destructive and ruthless. A trickster, ruthless and relentless as a Fury, he scourges any culture significantly advanced in the magic and spiritual arts. Few records exist, mostly because no culture visited by the Blue Djinn had much afterward but their eyes to weep. Based on what little lore we have, we think he is not an earthborn _youkai_.

"Both beings vanished a century ago, however, the Ifrit appeared for a short time some fifteen years ago. Five years later, small shrines in Southwestern Asia started disappearing to the whispers of the Blue Djinn. Some even attribute the destruction of the Bamyan Buddhas to him. Even so, the line of destroyed sacred sites leads toward Japan."

"Get on with it. How do we beat him and what can he do?" Reimu said. The shrine maiden quivered in her seat.

"While we don't believe that you are the Blue Djinn's final objective, you do have the misfortune of lying along its path. And I doubt you can convince it to play a round of _danmaku_," Yorihime said, focusing on Marisa.

"It worked on you," Marisa said with a smile.

"Only because death is anathema to Lunarians," Kaguya pointed out. "From what Princess Yorihime said, this Blue Djinn revels in it."

"Why do you think this Blue Djinn is alien to Earth?" Alice asked.

"Humans have to spend so much effort to keep from crumbling into barbarism and decline. There's no way they created this," Yorihime said, echoing the teachings of her master.

Out of the corner of her eye, Alice noticed Sanae bristling. The red-faced priestess stood up, but was pulled back to her seat by her goddess.

"Let them underestimate us," Suwako whispered.

"The barrier will protect us?" Youmu asked, looking around the room, almost pleading. "Won't it?"

Yuyuko set a hand on her gardener's shoulder to steady the girl. "The White Jade Tower will be safe regardless. I suspect that the hells will be too."

"That leaves _tengu_, humans, and _youkai_ exposed if the barrier falls. If the Djinn even comes this way," Reimu pointed out.

"If he does, can the barrier hold?" Eirin asked.

The shrine maiden shrugged. "Without knowing what he's capable of, I can't say."

Yukari smirked. "I could help there. If someone could go to the clinic and tell Aya that it's her turn?"

Aya stormed into the room, wrapped in soiled quick clotting bandages. An arm was slung across her chest, secured by more of the Lunarians' magic-infused bandages. Ashen-faced, she walked in front of Yukari and shook a finger from her good hand in the boundary _youkai's _face.

"You," she sputtered, glaring at Yukari. As Ran tensed next to her, Yukari shrugged. "You owe me a new camera."

Alice shook her head. Aya never changed.

"One of the new _kappa_ SLRs, complete with a set of wide and telephoto lenses, and that new filmless storage that Nitori's been working on."

The entire room shuddered at the thought of Aya with a telephoto lens.

"Why would you think that?" Yukari asked. She closed her fan, tapping it against the back of her wrist. Ran sighed and relaxed into a slightly less threatening stance.

Aya reached into her tunic and tossed a molten lump onto the table. "Call it a hunch."

Yukari said, "Prove to me that you earned it."

Aya paced across the room, cleared her throat, and spoke, a sly smile spreading across her face. "So there I was, no shi-"

"Without embellishment," Yukari said, sighing.

* * *

><p>Upon Yukari's request, combined with the offer of an exclusive interview, Aya, crow tengu, photojournalist, and certified troublemaker, took to the skies. She searched for her quarry, guided by the Watatsuki sisters' most accurate information, finding the target in a lightly wooded field several dozen kilometers east of the Hakurei barrier.<p>

Quiet pride filled Aya as she landed behind an old tree, snapping pictures silently. Everyone knew that when the best in aerial photography was needed, you sent a blackbird.

The Watatsuki's 'monster' stood in front of Aya, white-haired, but not aged, still muscular and clad in a white-trimmed blue coat of ten thousand nails, an exotic brigandine cloth armor. A darker blue jack-of-plates sat over the coat, paired with two white vambraces and his arms. In his hands rested a long scepter-like flanged mace, with a small set of red and blue globes set in the mace's handle. Aya zoomed in as close as her lens could get, snapping pictures until the camera's rewinder whirred into life. Pocketing the used canister, she slipped a new one inside.

A single silvery disk, no larger than an adult's hand, shimmered upright into existence next to the stranger's head and radiated a diffuse blue glow. Aya watched as the disk rippled like snow landing on a pond, her finger pulsing her camera's shutter release. A bead formed in the center. Drawing away from the disk as though stretched, the teardrop shaped bead drew the mass of the disk into itself before launching itself in an eye-searing streak akin to a _danmaku_ laser.

Above Aya, the base of a branch as thick as her arm blew into splinters. As leaves rustled, she rolled away, dodging the falling wood. The crow _tengu_ smiled. "So much for secrecy. This could be fun."

Out of the corner of her eye, Aya saw more disks form, ringing the stranger. Reaching behind her, she pulled her maple fan free. Swinging it down at the earth, Aya's wind burst launched several "_tengu_ pebbles," or medium-sized rocks, into the air.

With her camera still recording stills at crow _tengu _speeds, Aya commanded a pebble to fly into a silver disk. It shattered into a dust spray, but not before sending the solid disk shimmering into an indistinct mist.

Three disks rippled in response, their teardrops lashing out. Two shattered Aya's pebbles, while the third slammed into the berm. Its heat washed over the crow.

"Let's see just how good you are," Aya called out. She took to the air, and swooped at the Djinn. Silver tears launched themselves at her. Grazing was not an option due to the heat, but her crow _tengu_ speed allowed her to slip and slide away from the fire. A wide smile lit up the crow's face, as her shutter worked mercilessly.

She heard the whirring as her camera rewound. Changing out the canister for new film, she continued to weave through the fire, darting closer to the armored man as fire and flight allowed. She taunted, "Is that all you got?"

The demon god held his mace towards Aya, wrapping his free hand around the base of the handle. The head glowed, and pulses of blue light shot out like glowing crossbow bolts. Smoke rose wherever the light hit earth. Aya smiled, dodging and taking pictures as she could, until one puff of smoke rose from her hands.

"You shot my camera," she yelled, pocketing the melted lump. For the first time, Aya returned fire, kicking up sprays of dirt all around the man's feet. Bolts and _danmaku_ flew past each other, as the crow _tengu_ spiraled closer.

An iron hand grabbed her leg in a vice grip. The skin beneath his fingers chilled, sending tendrils of numbness throughout her leg. Aya swore; she had drifted closer than she had thought. Swinging her fan, she called upon the wind.

The wind failed to head her call, as the Djinn's free arm blocked her swing. Pain shot up her arm. It had felt like she had smashed into _kappa_-made rebar. With her good hand, she fingered a now glowing spell card stashed in her belt. A murder of crows clawed at the Djinn's eyes, allowing her to kick free.

As Aya landed and rolled to her feet, she tossed the spell card away. The crows of the Dark Daymare vanished, and she drew upon the wind once more.

Her spell card, Wind God Hidden Among the Tree Leaves, kicked up walls of dried leaves between her and the intruder. Aya turned away, hobbling on a still-numbed leg.

Behind her, heat and a giant whooshing sound crackled into life.

"The film," Aya said, swearing. Her film was heat-sensitive. Glancing behind her, she saw walls of flaming leaves rushing at her. The crow leapt into the air, taking flight. Behind her, a pillar of smoke rose into the sky.

* * *

><p>Aya finished her tale triumphantly, smiling at the center of the room. Her eyes darted about, seeking the rapt attention of her audience.<p>

Reimu yawned, propping up her head with her other arm. "If you wanted to lose so badly, you could have talked to me." Aya's face fell as the room exploded in laughter.

Yukari giggled demurely behind her fan. "I hate to say this, but I think you earned your camera."

The laughter died abruptly as many a young woman resolved to wear shorts underneath her skirts.

Aya's confidence returned in full force. "And those pictures of Ran we talked about? For the swimsuit issue?"

As blood drained from many a face, Ran leaped to her feet, slamming her clawed hands against the table. "Hell, no!" Yukari snapped her fan closed, slashing the air before rapping the fox's knuckles. Ran pulled her hand back, sucking on her knuckles.

_Don't be hasty, _Yukari said through her fan. She turned towards the crow photographer and flashed a slight grin.

"I've got a tasty, er, tasteful one-piece picked out just for you," Aya said, beaming.

Ran crossed her arms in front of her chest and glowered at Aya. "You. Will. Pay!" she announced to the entire world.

"When you got it, flaunt it," Aya chirped happily, flouncing. She made a box with her fingers and framed a red-faced Ran inside. "Work with me, now. Snarl for the camera."

Ran flashed the _tengu_ a row of sharp, pointed teeth. Yukari leaned over and whispered in Yuyuko's ear. Both ladies hid their laughter behind fans.

"You can forget about that if you didn't bring those pictures, though," Yukari warned sternly. Ran's ears perked up.

Aya sighed, dropping her shoulders. "The heat ruined most of my pictures." The crow girl smirked as she swaggered towards Ran. Placing a single index finger on the fox's nose, she purred. "But I did save three stills. Are you ready for your close-up?" Ran snapped at the _tengu's_ finger.

Aya laughed, nodding towards Eirin. Eternity Manor's seneschal picked up a short-handled hand bell and rang it three times. Yorihime's pet Reisen entered the room, carrying a thick manila envelope. She shivered as the assembled worthies crowded around her.

Marisa swiped the envelope out of the hare's hands. Teasing the three photographs out, she passed two to the crowd. Reimu claimed the last from the witch.

"So that's what he looks like?" the shrine maiden murmured. She turned the picture randomly, scowling.

Alice peered over Reimu's shoulder. Reddish-black blotted out most of the picture, but she could still see a blue figure among silver streaks.

Marisa made a moue of disgust as she traced a streak. "There's no beauty to this."

"It's not _danmaku_," Youmu said, pointing first to the silver and then to the black patch. "Could _danmaku_ do that to Aya's film?"

Alice shook her head. "If it did, we wouldn't have to worry about her candid photography."

Youmu and Sakuya shuddered. Even with the threat of Sakuya's knives, the crow reporter still harassed them in the search for the perfect snapshot of the two girls together to inflame her readership's fantasies.

"What do you think that is?" Reimu said, tapping at the silver streaking across the page.

"I bet you'll find out soon enough," Sakuya said, glaring at Aya. Reimu raised a single eyebrow.

"What does Gensokyo do every time there's an incident?" Alice said. Her Shanghai doll climbed up her shoulder, her ribbon and eyes peeking out above Alice's shoulder.

"They leave it for the Hakurei maiden and her pet witch," Reimu said, sighing. "I swear, no one in this land can solve their own problems."

"Admit it, you like it that way," Marisa said. "I know I do, except for the 'pet witch' part."

"If the pointy hat fits-" Reimu said.

"Honey, if I wanted to, I'd have you wrapped around my little finger," Marisa said, draping her arms around the shrine maiden and purring softly in her ear. "Just say the word."

"How about 'restraining order,'" Reimu said, picking up Marisa's arms and setting them down on Alice's shoulders.

A skin-crawling howl tore through the manor, echoed in turn by a choir of canine voices. The rabbits in the room screamed, hiding beneath chairs, underneath tables, and inside cupboards, while Reisen Udonge Inaba held tightly to her namesake. Marisa, Reimu, and Alice spun into a circle, spell cards flaring and at the ready.

Yukari's eyes narrowed as she split the space in front of her. Reaching a manicured alabaster hand through the ribboned portal, she pulled a thick pile of white fur and cloth into the room. A wolf solider sprawled to the floor.

The wolf shot to her feet, ramrod straight as she saluted fist to chest. "Ma'am, Private Kaede reports, Ma'am."

Yukari rolled her eyes, dipping into an ever-so-slight curtsy. "I only rate a private now?"

The wolf _tengu_, little more than a young woman barely grown out of her puppydom, dropped her salute. "Sergeant Inubashiri's compliments, Ma'am. An intruder has been sighted near the Wandering Village."

Rabbit ears, once hidden in fear, sprouted from the furniture like weeds. Alice's pulse quickened at the words. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see smiles growing on Marisa and Reimu's faces.

Yukari's fan quickly covered her smile. "Thank you, private. What do you say, ladies? Shall we take a look at our gentleman caller?" Behind the soldier, a multi-eyed portal appeared between two red ribbons.

"Bet you that's the first one she's had in years," Marisa whispered. Alice tried desperately not to smile, but the Shanghai doll on her shoulder trembled, her painted smile brighter than normal.

Yukari motioned to Kaede, who spun on her heels and walked between the ribbons floating in the air. Behind her, the room emptied through the portal.

Before Eirin disappeared, she called out, "Don't forget the live bait."

Three rabbits picked up and unceremoniously hurled Mokou through the portal.


	3. Eye of the Storm

_**Look to the Eastern Sky**_

_**Book One of the Clockwork Devils**_

_**Written by Achariyth**_

_In the blink of an eye, Patchouli Knowledge's world went dark. The witch sighed, rolled her eyes, and set her book down on the table before her. "Cut it out, Koa."_

_The demoness giggled as she removed two exquisitely manicured hands from her mistress's eyes. "Hey," Koakuma purred, setting her hands on the witch's shoulders._

"_What do you want?" Patchouli said, picking up her book. She traced the lined on the page until she found where she had left off._

"_I'm bored," Koakuma sang. "You doing anything interesting?"_

"_I'm reading about ley lines," Patchouli answered without looking up from the book. "You know, instantaneous travel between places of power. Places with names ending in 'ley?'"_

"_I said 'interesting,'" Koakuma sighed, throwing her arms around her mistress's shoulders. She reached down and plucked the book from Patchouli's grasp. The book clattered on the floor._

"_Watch the hands," Patchouli snapped, swatting the succubus's hands off of her chest. "Magic travel, Koa, just think of it. Although we might need to find places that end in 'rei' or 're-'"_

"_Boring," Koakuma whined. She leaned over the witch's shoulder, making sure to press her breasts against Patchouli's back. Picking up a nearby book, she skimmed a page and squealed. "Oh, read this instead!"_

"_Put that down!" the witch commanded. Bright read flooded her cheeks._

"Anastasia and the Kildar. _Good choice," Koakuma said, thrusting the book into her hands. The succubus whispered into her master's ear. "Oh, my. You _have _been a bad girl, and you like it."_

_The librarian swatted her assistant's book away. "Don't you have something to do?"_

"_An adorable farmer's boy, if I have the evening free," Koakuma purred._

"_I need you to reorganize the East Wing with than new system we created," Patchouli said, slipping out of her servant's embrace._

_Koakuma's face fell. "But that'll take all night-"_

"_LOOK OUT!" an accented voice bellowed as the library doors crashed open._

"_Kyuu!"_

_Patchouli and Koakuma both swore before overturning the table in front of them and dropping behind it. As the library doors erupted into splinters, Meiling vaulted over the table._

"_I want my sister," Flandre Scarlet wailed as she stepped inside the library._

"_I wish Sakuya was here to deal with this," Koakuma said, shuddering against Patchouli._

"_I wish Remilia was here," Patchouli said. She turned towards the gatekeeper. "Are you okay, Meiling?"_

_The green-clad Chinese _youkai _moved her arm gingerly. "Good enough for now, but I don't think I can play with her any longer without having to see Eirin afterwards."_

"_Kyuu!"_

"_Run!" Meiling shouted, pushing Koakuma and Patchouli to their feet. The girls dashed behind a towering bookshelf, dodging flying table shards._

"_Don't let her touch my books," Patchouli panted, grabbing Meiling's shoulders and shaking the dragon girl._

"_Little Mistress," Koakuma called out from behind Patchouli._

"_Koa-Koa? I want my sister!" Flandre wailed._

"_The Mistress is visiting Reimu. She wants you to behave until she comes back," Koakuma answered, cringing. _

"_I want to see her now!" the child vampire said, stomping her foot._

"_If you're good-"_

"_I don't want to be good, I want Remilia!" A petulant foot stomp accompanied each of Flandre's last three words _

"_Quick, think of something!" Koakuma hissed, squeezing Patchouli and Meiling's shoulders._

"Xiao meimei, _if you're good, you can see Mokou," Meiling called out, using her nickname, little sister, for Flandre. She peered around the bookshelf's corner._

_Flandre's wailing stopped. The vampire's eyes matched the shine of her crystal wings. "Mokou-Mokou?"_

"_This had better work," Patchouli whispered._

"_Trust me for once," Meiling snapped. She stuck her head out into the aisle; a worn smile brightening her face. "Will you be good?"_

"_For an hour?" Flandre said, hopefully. A wide smile brightened the lesser Scarlet Devil's face._

"_Until your sister returns," Meiling insisted._

"_But-"_

"_Mokou won't want to see you if you've been bad."_

"_Alright," Flandre said, pouting. "I'll be good. For Mokou-Mokou."_

_Patchouli slumped against the bookshelf, sighing in relief._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3 - Eye of the Storm<strong>

_If the world was how it should be,_

_Maybe I could get some sleep…_

-"Oh My God," Jars of Clay

* * *

><p>An eye blinked in the darkness between worlds as did another. Myriad eyes blinked in turn, looking like stars twinkling in some eldritch firmament. But stars did not stare back when you look at them…<p>

Alice joined the group hurrying between Yukari's portals. Some things even her mother's home could not prepare her for. Fortunately, the second portal dropped her onto the green hills at the edge of Gensokyo's boundary. However, as Alice watched the impressive armored figure barking commands, she knew she had traded one unsettling gaze for another.

"By the Sky Goddess, Private Kaede, I told you to report to Lady Yakumo, not bring half of Gensokyo here to sightsee," Sergeant Momiji Inubashiri snarled, before turning to her newcomers. "Lie down, the lot of you, or else I'll knock you down. The enemy's on the other side of this hill, and I don't have time to herd lost sheep.

"Private Kaede, for your sins, you're now responsible for Lady Yakumo's safety. If she causes any problems, I want you to stuff her through one of her damned portals." The subordinate wolf soldier paled at the thought.

Next to Alice, Princess Yorihime dropped into a prone position. She examined the position, cover, and attentiveness of the wolf soldiers. "Earthshine, a proper sergeant at last. Pity she's _youkai_. I could use a real sergeant major."

"I don't know you. Who are you?" Momiji spun around and demanded. She flashed a glare at Alice, who knelt. The puppeteer sure her head did not crest the hill. She refused to lie down. Aya had slipped through the portal too, and Alice did not want her lingerie choice plastered all over the _Bunbunmaru_. Even without her camera, Aya's poison pen would still wreak havoc.

"_Duxessa Bellorum Luna _Watatsuki, Think general," Princess Yorihime said, identifying herself as the War Leader of the Moon.

Momiji swore under her breath. "Foreign brass." By her tone, Alice could tell that the wolf sergeant was tempted to field strip the first two letters from "brass." The doll master looked around, hoping to see Yukari's reaction. Instead, she watched as Yuyuko faded away with a wave.

"Don't mind me, Sergeant. I will not interfere with your squad," Yorihime said, creeping to the hill's crest.

"Good. Don't be a dumbass. Keep low. If you can't, I'll sit on you myself," Momiji growled. Next to her, Yukari appeared, sitting atop a tear in space like a spectator watching baseball. A parasol shaded the boundary _youkai_.

"Let me be the one to start interplanetary incidents." Yukari sighed before growing stern. "Report."

Momiji saluted, fist to chest. "We have one unknown warrior probing the outskirts of the barrier for the past hour. Currently on the far side of the hill, he is in cloth armor of foreign-make, probably reinforced. He appears to be destroying cairn stones with an ornate mace whenever he comes across them."

The Hakurei barrier consisted of a mixture of human and _youkai _magic. Cairn stones were rough-hewn stone monuments that served as anchors for the human magic. The stones sained the ground, allowing the magic to force a barrier like air forces a bubble in liquid.

Yukari whistled. "That's one way to destroy the barrier. Not very efficient, though."

"Efficient or not, he's heading towards the Hakurei shrine. He can do more damage there," Momiji continued. Yukari remained unfazed by the sergeant's glare.

"He can _pass through _there," Alice whispered, cringing. She did not want to crawl back to her mother begging for a place to call home.

"I can strengthen the barrier, but I need those cairn stones," Reimu said, her brow furled in thought.

Momiji's ears twitched. She dove to the ground. "Everyone, down!"

Alice winced, shielding her face as a bolt of actinic flame slammed into a cairn, vaporizing it. A wave of heat hit her face, as the doll maker blinked away purple afterimages. More bolts slammed into the hillside, sending the earth heaving. Soil and rock rained down around Alice and the others.

Various yells and curses were muffled, but one was loudest. "What in the seven hells is that?" Yukari snapped, poking her head out from a portal.

"Something new," Momiji said. "I want accountability, right now! Include the gawkers and drink water while you're at it. That heat's bad."

She waited as the reports filtered in from her soldiers. No casualties, thank the War Goddess, but more than a few of the _tengu_, _youkai_, and humans were rattled.

"With our guests and that heat, we're low on water, and if we eat one of those blasts, we don't have enough supplies for proper first aid. Begging your pardon, Lady Eirin," Private Kaede said. A slight cringe crept past her military bearing.

"None taken. In my opinion, first aid won't be an issue. Finding enough parts for a proper funeral, on the other hand-" Eirin said. The Lunarian physician patted down her pockets, removing medical supplies wherever she found them.

"Not on my watch. You are all leaving. Come back, if you must, when you're ready to fight," Momiji snapped. She flashed a complicated set of hand signals, and the wolf soldiers surrounded Kaguya's guests.

"Don't push it, Momiji, Reimu's been grouchy lately. You know how she gets," Marisa said conspiratorially. She took a step away from a stern faced _tengu_, one arm pushing Alice behind her. The _tengu _stepped into the space the witch left.

"Hey!" Reimu protested.

Yukari sighed as she widened her portal so that four could walk abreast. "She's right-"

"You're not helping either," the shrine maiden snapped, glaring at the boundary _youkai_.

"I meant Sergeant Inubashiri is right," Yukari groaned. "We don't have a plan, so now's not the time to start fighting."

"Plans, who needs them?" Marisa said, juggling her elemental reactor. The wolf in front of her tensed, clutching the hilt of a wide scimitar. "I've got, what, a dozen incidents solved through improvisation and applied violence." She sighed as Alice reached over and plucked the octagonal box from her hands.

"Because you let me do all the work," Reimu snapped.

"Regardless, it's time to go," Yukari said. "Portal's closing." The portal behind her shrank slightly.

The wolf sergeant motioned at Sanae to draw closer. "Priestess, before you go, can you give us your blessing?"

"Momiji, you know how embarrassed I get," Sanae said, avoiding Reimu's glare. As Marisa and Alice walked past, she shifted nervously. The two magicians stopped in their tracks just outside the portal. "They should look to Kanako and Suwako."

"You are the only person here that can speak on behalf of both goddesses," Momiji insisted politely.

"What about me?" Reimu snarled, her hands resting on her hips.

"When Lord Tenma converted to the Moreya, we all did. The blessing would mean more coming from one who is actually a priestess of the Moreya and not one who serves all gods. We soldiers are a superstitious lot," Momiji explained. She waved her hand so as to shoo Marisa through the portal.

"I don't know any war blessings," Sanae said in hushed tones.

"How about, 'kick his ass?'" Marisa said, smirking. "It's short, sweet, and to the point." Alice rolled her eyes.

"Get!" Sanae yelled, pushing Marisa through Yukari's portal.

"I always liked '_en touto nika_,' Reimu said. _In this sign, conquer_. "But you Moreya don't have a distinctive emblem."

"You're not helping either," Sanae said, pursing her lips. She sighed and turned towards Momiji and her squad, raising her arms upward and outward. "In the name of Kanako of the Eight Hills, be as quick as serpents. In the name of Suwako of the Mountain, let you wills be as steel. May the Earth shield you, the West Wind preserve you, the South Wind hide you, and the North Wind drive your enemies before you."

"So shall it be," Momiji intoned, echoed by her squad. Sanae lowered her hands and bowed.

"A little wordy there, O Beloved of the Wind," Reimu said, walking past the Newbie Goddess of the Mountain.

"Bite me."

"Do I look like Remila?" Reimu said. She pulled on Alice's arm as she stepped into the portal.

* * *

><p>Alice stepped back into Eternity Manor's great hall. <em>Youkai<em>, rabbits, and humans clustered around an unconscious lop-eared hare, while another pair of rabbits huddled shivering in a corner.

Eirin held a wet squirming bundle of black fur and red lacquered claws at arm's length. Thrusting the yowling mess at Ran, she snarled, "I believe this is yours."

A black streak shot from the doctor's hand, spiraling around Ran once before diving into her luxurious tails. A cat stuck its head out from between two tails, hissing and clawing at the air in from of Eirin.

Yorihime rushed to the fallen hare, cradling the girl in her arms. "What happened?"

"She said she wanted to know what moon bunny tasted like, and then she, she licked her neck," one of the shivering rabbits wailed.

Ran licked her lips at the thought, as she looked Reisen Udongein Inaba up and down. Shivering, the moon hare grabbed a grain hammer and glared at the fox.

"Oh dear, Yukari, you'll need to have that talk with Chen," Yuyuko purred, covering her mouth with a fan. "Make sure you tell her all about the Mystias and Wriggles."

Yorihime and Eirin turned to Yukari, glaring and sputtering dire curses.

The boundary _youkai_ held her hand up. Addressing the Lunarian royalty, she asked, "Would this help?"

An eye blinked in the darkness growing beneath Ran's feet. With a resigned sigh, Ran fell through the portal. As Chen shrieked, the fox _youkai_ yelped. "Watch the tails!" The portal closed with the second blink of the eye.

"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Reimu asked, shaking her head.

"Udonge, please take your namesake and the others to the clinic," Eirin said. "If Princess Yorihime wishes, she may accompany you. I believe the rest of her brief is no longer needed."

"Of course, Your Grace," Reisen said, dropping the hammer and guiding the shaking rabbits out of the room. Yorihime followed, carrying her own personal Reisen. Eirin winced at Reisen's honorific.

"Anyway," Reimu said. "What are we going to do?"

"If it wasn't for Yukari and Aya, we wouldn't have to do anything," Remila said, glaring at the boundary _youkai_. The effect was lost, as it made the vampire girl look like she was stamping her foot at her babysitter for not giving her cake. "Thanks for bringing that here, girls."

"Dragging that thing here wasn't my plan. If Aya wouldn't harass anything that moves with her camera," Yukari began, flashing cold eyes at the _Tengu _of the Wind.

"Just follow orders, Ma'am," Aya said, smirking. "I'm not going down alone, and you're not making this stick to me. My feathers are as Teflon."

"Whatever. That creature followed you and you know it," Remila said, crossing her arms. "Now, what I want to know is why I should stick my neck out and risk my friends and servants to clean up Yukari's mess?"

"Surely the fate of the Scarlet Devil Mansion-" Yukari said rolling her eyes.

"You've got to try better than that. The mansion moves according to my whims," Remila said. "And I assure you, if the barrier falls, the mansion is gone. I've always wanted to visit the Kingdom of Prester John. So, tell me again, why should the Scarlet Devil help you?"

"Trade on the lives of humans, and I swear both of you will learn that I still remember what garlic and stakes are for," Reimu said, glaring with her arms crossed underneath her breasts. Sakuya started towards the shrine maiden, and then froze in mid-step.

"Hey, Sweet Sixteen, I'd calm right on down," Marisa said, smiling as she pressing her elemental furnace into the small of Sakuya's back. "Touch metal or time and you'll get one hell of a sunburn. Nothing personal-"

Sakuya glared at the witch as she raised her hands away from her knives. "Youmu, please don't be rash."

Youmu removed her blade from Marisa's throat and sheathed her sword. The witch gulped, settling back to the floor as she stopped trying to grow taller. "I used the back of my blade, I promise."

"That goes for you too, Alice," Sakuya said, glaring at the puppeteer.

Youmu turned her head, and blanched when she saw a tower of Shanghai dolls. The highest one smiled, waving as she dropped a giant mallet to the ground. Alice shrugged when Youmu glared at her.

"Godsdammit!" Eirin swore. Her bow and quarrel appeared in her hands. "This was supposed to be under a flag of truce!" She spun around red-faced as she heard the sounds of bickering in another part of the room.

"And the answer is still 'why?'" Remila said.

"Some of us can't run," Reimu said. Her glare passed in turn from Kaguya to Remila, Yuyuko, and Sanae, before settling on Alice. "My home is here. I have no other to flee to."

"Are you saying some of us don't love Gensokyo?" Sanae growled, stopping to confront the shrine maiden.

"That's it!" Eirin said, stamping her foot as she pulled the bow's string back. "Take a fifteen minute break. Calm down and cool off before I start carving off pieces for Rumia."

As the room emptied in a hurry, Alice thought for certain she heard a childish voice call, "Is that so?"

* * *

><p>"And now the real business begins," Alice murmured as she and Marisa walked outside into the courtyard.<p>

"How so?" Marisa said, looking around.

"Watch," the puppeteer said, pointing to the opposite side of the courtyard. "Do you see Yuyuko talking to Sakuya and Youmu?"

"So?" Marisa shrugged. "That's not exactly odd."

"Without Youmu blushing beet-red?" Alice said, shaking her head. "My guess is that Yukari's using Yuyuko as a go between to secure Remilia's support. That way, no one loses face."

"And Reimu doesn't flip her lid? Think they're trading in humans?" Marisa asked.

Alice thought for a moment and shook her head. "Yuyuko wouldn't be a party to that. My guess is that Yukari will open a portal to a blood bank for Remila. The Scarlets get food without Flandre associating blood with humans, Yukari gets her support without humans getting attacked, and Reimu will never know."

Marisa blinked, her mouth distorting into a moue of disgust. "A blood bank? Sounds barbarous."

Alice sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'll explain later, but it's nowhere near as bad as it seems. Except for a vampire making withdrawals. But my point is that this is when the deals really happen."

Marisa peered around a corner. She smiled and held her arm out to block Alice's path. "Look at this. Sneaky-like."

Alice snuck a glance around the corner. Sanae and Kogasa sat ever so close beneath a purple umbrella. The karakasa spoke and both girls laughed freely.

"So, do you think the rumors are true?" Alice asked in a low voice. "You know, about Sanae, Kogasa, and the alcohol?"

Marisa smirked. "Oh, I hope so."

Sanae saw her goddess, both child and great-grandmother, and paled. She stood up, scolding Kogasa vigorously. The karakasa had the good grace to look chagrined, but the twinkle in her blue eye put the lie to her pose. Alice could see Sanae's slight wave as Suwako dragged the priestess away.

"Wanna bet Suwako's first match for you would be small, blue, and mischievous?" Marisa said, turning away from the corner.

"You're not going to let me forget that, are you?" Alice sighed.

"Nope. And it'd be a shame too," Marisa said, grinning.

"Why's that?" Alice asked guardedly.

"I like Kogasa, and I'd hate to run her off. Besides, how do you think Sanae would react?"

"Anyway, so why do you think no one's tried to deal with us?" Alice said, changing the subject hurriedly.

"Okay, suit yourself," Marisa said, leading Alice away from the corner. "Everyone knows that I'll rush in where angels fear to tread if it means leaving Reimu's shadow. Sure, this guy might be a real bastard, but I faced Yukari in her wrath and made her stand down."

"My pet witch is getting full of herself," Reimu said, walking up to the two girls.

"Without your Hakurei blood, you'd beg me to show you a tenth of what I know," Marisa said, staring down her long time rival.

"Marisa-" Alice said placing a hand on the witch's shoulder.

"Perhaps," Reimu shrugged. She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Really, I could use a friendly duel right now, but Eirin's on the warpath."

"More Rumia snack threats?" Alice asked.

Reimu shook her head. "I wish. She said she'd spike my drink with aphrodisiacs and lock me in a room with Aya and her new camera."

Alice and Marisa turned green. "I hope Aya doesn't find out."

"With any luck, she's gone to extort sympathy from Rinnosuke," Alice said, crossing her fingers behind her back.

"I'm not counting on it," Reimu said, pointing to where Aya crouched behind a bush. She winced and scurried away.

Marisa and Alice continued through the courtyard. Passing by Remila Scarlet walking alone with a parasol in her hands, they heard the vampiress speak. "All this charisma and nothing to show for it. I can't even sparkle like those new-fangled vampires."

"We could try lighting you on fire," Marisa said. Alice slammed her elbow into Marisa's side.

"Where did you get that idea from?" Remila said, aghast.

"From a book. _Harbinger's Monster Guide." _Marisa said, wincing. Whether it was through pain or distaste for the infamous book, Alice could not tell. "I gave that one back, though."

Remila paled. "That wouldn't be the one with the horned happy face?

"Yes. Patchouli has some interesting books in her library," the witch said, shaking her head.

"Certainly. Remind me to burn a few," Remilia said, as she hurried away.

"Well, I'm surprised," Alice said, a sly grin on her face.

"That I got the best of a vampire?" Marisa flashed a winning grin.

"That you gave a book back to Patchouli," Alice laughed.

"It had a chapter on how to kill witches. Can you imagine killing something as cute and adorable as me?" Marisa asked, preening before the doll maker.

"That depends. Stolen anything else from me lately?" Alice said, glowering at the witch. She tapped an open palm with two fingers from her other hand.

Alice found herself pushed off balance by an unseen force. Marisa doubled over with a gasp, and then spun by herself towards the nearest wall. Out of nowhere, a silver-haired maid appeared and grabbed the witch by the shoulders.

"If you ever breathe another word about burning Milady ever again," Sakuya hissed, pushing Marisa against the wall. "We'll have ourselves a nice bonfire with you at the center. Savvy?"

Marisa grabbed the maid's arm and squeezed. "Down, bitch. Come for me and you'll get nothing but tears."

Alice tried to stand to Marisa's defense, but she found herself straining to move. Looking down, the puppet master saw knives pinning her dress and her sleeves to the ground. Next to her, knives also pinned her Shanghai doll in a similar way.

A knife materialized in Sakuya's hand, fanning into many in front of Marisa's eyes before becoming one again. "Just as long as you get my point-"

"Can it, Sweet Sixteen, before I tell your mistress that you slipped your leash again." Marisa's foot lashed out, only to be caught by the maid.

"Just remember, come after the Mistress, and I'll show you how the West deals with your kind. 'Suffer not,' little witch. 'Suffer not,'" Sakuya said, ramming Marisa's leg back into the wall. The maid's knee then slammed into the witch's leg.

"Heel," Marisa said, her smile flashing too many teeth. "I'm not going to roast your precious Remilia. Patchi wouldn't lend me her books then."

"That's Patchouli's decision. However, if you do decide to come through the front door for once, let me offer you the full hospitality of the mansion. Maybe the Lady will have you for dinner," Sakuya said, letting Marisa go before vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Alice fell over as the knives pinning her hem disappeared. One moment, the cut clothing hung loosely, and then in the next, her clothes were completely whole once more. A reputation for elegance placed certain obligations on the maid.

"You alright?" Marisa asked, walking to Alice with only the occasional stumble. Sakuya had wrenched the witch's leg before she left.

"Sure. What about yourself?" Alice said, steadying the witch.

"I get worse from China when she catches me," Marisa said, shrugging. She flexed her leg and winced. "I actually get along quite well with Sakuya, whenever she's not doing the attack dog thing."

"Liar," the puppeteer said, rolling her eyes,

"Never me. Nothing but the unvarnished truth here," the witch said, giggling. She pulled herself tight against Alice.

Alice looked back and sighed. The Reisen called Udonge waved her arms overhead, and the stragglers in the courtyard began returning to the manor.

* * *

><p>Mokou rested on her stomach behind a tree. All it took to slip away from Kaguya's rabbit retainers was a small, discrete flame set against the ropes binding her. Disappearing in the crash and bustle while the barrier cairn stones were destroyed proved to be easy. If Kaguya expected her to stick her neck out for anything that her cousin was involved with…<p>

Using her arms, she pushed herself forward just far enough that her eyes passed the tree. The invader was hidden from sight, but she could see Momiji's squad crouching in their hiding places, all eleven of them.

Mokou slid back behind the tree and froze. Eleven? There should be twelve.

"Your woodcraft isn't bad, for a human." Heavy weights on the small of her back and on her neck crushed Mokou into the dirt. The immortal woman felt hot breath snarling in her ear. "I thought I told everyone to leave."

With effort, Mokou turned her head to the side, spitting dirt and leaves. "And stay at the Moonbitch family reunion? Hell, no."

Momiji eased her knee off of her captive's neck. "If I let you go, I'm not going to get rid of you, am I?"

"Not even death would stop me," Mokou said, pushing up against the weight in her back.

The wolf sergeant stood up, freeing the duchess. Reaching down, she pulled Mokou to her feet. "You're serious. Pity. Well, consider yourself conscripted for the duration." Mokou shrugged. As if the _tengu _could do anything more but inconvenience someone cursed with serial immortality…

"Sergeant, you need to see this," a _tengu_ soldier said. Unlike Momiji, she did not bear a shield.

"What's wrong?" Momiji's eyes narrowed as she helped Mokou to her feet.

"I'm no boundary magician, Sergeant, but I found something that doesn't look right."

"Show me," Momiji said. Pointing to Mokou, she continued. "You're coming too."

"Boundaries aren't my forte. You should get Reimu," Mokou said. She stayed next to the sergeant as she truly had nothing better to do.

"You're the only red-white I have," Momiji said, using the common nickname given to the Hakurei shrine maiden for her distinctly colored garb. The duchess just happened to share the same colors. She followed the soldier as she led them toward the barrier.

As Mokou neared the barrier, it gave everything an amber hue. However, at chest level, the hue faded into a two-meter iris of true color. The opening pulsed as energies inside the boundary flowed about.

"This is it?" she asked. "Don't people and things come through the barrier all the time?"

"I've scouted this area for years," Momiji said, shaking her head. She slipped her hand through the hole. Unlike normal, there was no resistance as she pushed through Gensokyo's boundary with Japan. "Even when stuff passes through, this still looks whole."

The wolf soldier pointed towards the Djinn, who still made his way along the outside. "There goes another one."

As stone screeched against stone and rock crumbled, another smaller iris opened, ten meters away from the first.

"It's like fabric slowly tearing when it's stretched too tight," the soldier muttered.

Mokou watched as Momiji knelt, closing her eyes in meditation. The wolf _tengu_ sighed. The phoenix girl said, "You're going to attack, aren't you?"

"Not here. Outside, at a time and place of my choosing. Not that he's give me much of either," Momiji said, standing up. Turning towards her subordinate, she commanded, "Rally the girls and fall in on me."

"So what do you have in mind?" Mokou said after the soldier nodded and ran off.

"Besides dying in bed surrounded by all the young males panting for me?" Momiji said. "A linear ambush outside the barrier. We'll see if we can down him or drive him off."

Mokou winced as she recalled the fire and tremors the Djinn created. "This is going to be unpleasant."

"I don't see any other choice. The boundary's already under strain, and he keeps attacking the cairns. The longer we wait, the more likely we'll fight to our disadvantage. My orders are pretty clear on this."

Mokou shrugged. "Didn't say I disagreed. So, where do you want me?"

Momiji sighed. "Anywhere but here, actually. You're not a trained soldier and you have no self-preservation-"

"I have no need for it," Mokou said, shrugging. "It's almost more fun that way."

"Quite. But if you're staying with the group, you're coming with me," Momiji said as her squad assembled. She flashed a toothy, predatory grin. "Lady Fujiwara, you've got the nastiest spell cards in this group; you get to kick this furball wide open."

Mokou rolled her eyes and pointed at the barrier. "While I would enjoy a fight with someone not named Kaguya for once, he's there and we're here. Unless you have a hotline to Yukari, how are we getting out?"

"At the Hakurei shrine," Momiji said, flashing hand signals. On her cues, the wolves spread out into a triangular wedge formation centered on Momiji and Mokou and aimed at the shrine. Another signal later, and the full formation took flight, Mokou scrambled to catch up.

* * *

><p>Alice entered the great hall of Eternity Manor and shivered. The air itself had changed from the dry heat of argument to something colder.<p>

"Do you feel it too?" she asked the Shanghai doll sitting on her shoulder. The doll nodded, casting furtive glances around the room.

Marisa shrugged. "Did you get too much sun?" The witch stared at Alice, and then shook her head at the reclusive magician. "No, wait; I forgot who I was talking to."

"Hush," Alice chided, glaring at the witch. The Shanghai doll pointed to a corner of the room. Since Eirin had yet to resume the meeting, the guests had dispersed into small clusters. Normally, Reimu and Yukari would flitter from group to group, sharing gossip and laughs, but the shrine maiden and _youkai_ murmured together in a corner. Reimu sighed, wearing the rigid face of one hiding her emotions. "Something's up."

"Besides the incident?" Marisa said as they passed where Suwako still lectured Sanae. "I don't see why we're still here. Sure, I don't mind drinking Kaguya's tea, but all this talk isn't doing anything."

"'Out of his mouth go burning torches, and sparks of fire leap forth. Upon earth there is none his like that is made without fear,'" Sanae recited. Grateful for the interruption, she slipped away from her goddess. Suwako frowned at her priestess.

"Priestesses," Marisa said, shaking her head. "Always going mystical at the worst possible moment."

"Between Sanae's gloom and Reimu's secrets-" Alice began. Metal clanked against crystal pealing throughout the hall, interrupting her. The sudden edge in the room crept up her spine.

Eirin set the knife and the glass on the table, and then unlimbered an automatic crossbow from her back. Setting the crossbow's stock on the table with a meaty thunk, she smiled. "Let's begin. Everyone ready to be civil?" The apothecary flashed a predatory grin and sat down.

As others did likewise, Alice found her seat; her Shanghai doll settling from her perch on Alice's shoulder into the doll master's lap.

Eirin nodded to Reimu, who walked into the center of the hall. She closed her eyes, took a breath, and spoke. "The barrier's weakening."

"We know. We watched that thing attack cairn stones," Remila said.

Reimu shook her head. "No you don't, not like I do. Your senses aren't attuned."

The vampire scowled. "Humor me."

"It'd be easier to describe the color blue to the colorblind," Yukari said, hiding a smile behind her fan.

"The barrier's a cobbled together mix of human and _youkai_ magic. This means that the various magics reinforce and interfere with each other in unknown and unplanned ways," Reimu said. "I don't know what effects removing the cairn anchors will have, only that there will be effects; and none of them good."

"How long do we have?" Youmu said, worried.

"A couple days. Nothing irreversible has happened yet. If we can get him to stop, we'll be fine," Reimu replied.

"Why not just open a portal and dump him on the other side of the world?" Alice asked.

"I'd open one to the core if I thought it would help," Yukari said. "Trust me, though, that'd be a bad idea."

"Riiight..." Remila drawled.

"Where did you want that new mountain range?" Yukari said, glaring over the top of an open fan.

"Enough. The important thing is that we decide what to do, which means we need to compile what we know," Suwako said.

"A mythical scourge of civilizations is flensing the Hakurei barrier?" Sakuya said.

"We should have asked Patchouli to look up the Djinn in her library," Marisa said. "She might have found myths that might have clues. Like maybe about that Ifrit."

"It's an idea, but I think we might not have the time. Remila, could you ask Patchouli for her assistance?" Reimu asked.

"Sure!" Remila said, beaming.

"Okay, short stuff, you've been riding me all day, but you roll over for Reimu?" Yukari set her fan down in front of her.

Remila shrugged. "She asked. You just assumed I'd help."

Reimu rolled her eyes. "Did anyone notice anything useful?"

"Whatever this is, it has never been alive," Yuyuko said.

Conversation stopped as the entire room turned towards the ghost queen.

"Lady Saigyouji, if I may ask how you know that?" Sanae asked.

"Well," Yuyuko drawled, squirming. "I kinda used my power?"

"Oh, Yuyu," Yukari groaned. "Why?"

"I thought it'd be better to end this fuss without anyone getting hurt," the Lady of the White Jade Tower sighed. "So while everyone was hiding with that wolf-girl's friends, I snuck out and invited him to the Jade Tower."

"Invited him to his death, you mean," Reimu said, scowling.

"It sounds so cruel when you put it like that," Yuyuko said. He voice dripped with hurt, but the corner of a smile peeked out beyond the fan covering her lips. "He would have found the Jade Tower a good home, and my dear Youmu so needs a man's touch."

"Lady Yuyuko!" Youmu stammered, her cheeks reddening. She looked at Sakuya, who covered her giggles demurely with a free hand. Youmu sat down, shrinking in on herself, pouting. "Not you too, Sakuya."

"Youmu can rest easy, though. There was nothing there when I used my power, not even the ember left after death. I would have had better luck with stone or Alice's dolls"

Yuyuko turned towards Yukari, and dropped the fan to her lap. "Yukarin, I can't help you in this fight. You shall have the full support of the Jade Tower, as always, but I am afraid my power will be of no use. But I have been practicing my sword work." To Youmu's abject horror, the ghostly princess spun around the room, energetically swinging her closed in wide flourishes. "Guard, turn, parry, dodge, spin, and thrust!"

"No, thank you, Yuyu. But what about Youmu?" Yukari asked, sighing. The ghost queen was known for losing her sword bouts. Then again, she only dueled her suitors, and then, only for sexy forfeits…

Yuyuko shrugged, picking up her fan and tapping it against her right cheek. "You may ask her. My dear gardener is free to make her own choices."

"I will help," Youmu sighed. Alice could hear the girl mutter, "Even if my choice is not my own."

"So we're up against an animated artifact," Suwako interjected.

"Fully autonomous too," Alice said. "I'd love to study it." She hoped the construct might give new insight into creating autonomous, living dolls.

"Should we get Flandre?" Youmu asked.

Remilia paled. "She's still fragile, and I don't want her getting used to blowing things up. I'd rather not trade one monster for another."

"Why don't we draw it off?" Reisen asked. "If it spooks the moon, facing this Djinn head on sounds like a bad idea."

Yukari nodded. "Reimu and I could repair the barrier while you all do that."

"But-" Reimu said as her face fell.

"So we get a big group, grab it's attention, take it on a wild goose chase, and slip away in the confusion? " Marisa said, smiling. "I like it!"

"But I want to go too!" Reimu shouted.

"You're not going, Reimu," Yukari said.

Reimu's face fell. "What do you mean?"

"You're the barrier shrine maiden and you can channel people, well, gods and _youkai_ at least. You'll need to channel Yukari to fully repair the barrier," Kaguya said.

"But Yorihime can do that just as well as I can!" Reimu protested.

Yorihime called out from the hallway. "This is not my fight, and I'd channel the Morningstar himself before Yukari."

Alice paled at the thought.

"Who's the Morningstar?" Marisa asked.

"Ask Koa sometime," Sakuya whispered.

Reimu pouted, slumping into a nearby chair. "Alright, I'll do my duty. So who all can we get to help?"

"What about the drunken _oni_?" Eirin said.

"That's redundant," Alice said, rolling her eyes.

"It certainly is," Reimu said, smiling. "Suika's in the Abandoned Wing of Hell, visiting Yuugi. I'm sure I could convince both of them to help. The gods know those two love a good scrap."

"Utsuho?" Yukari asked.

"Good gods, no," Sanae said, as Suwako scowled. "I'd like to be able to live here afterwards." The nuclear hell raven made for powerful artillery; she just had a nasty tendency to carelessly irradiate her surroundings.

"She's too important where she is," Suwako said, her hand darting out and slapping Sanae on the back of her head. "The reactor's a bit twitchy right now."

More names were bandied about, until one final instruction rang out:

Meet at the Hakurei shrine just before dusk.

As the meeting dispersed, Marisa pulled at Alice's shoulder. "C'mon, I've got something to show you before we go to the shrine."

* * *

><p>Sergeant Momiji Inubashiri glanced behind her. Even with the addition of Lady Fujiwara, her soldiers still maintained good order as the squad made their way through the long flight to the Hakurei shrine. It spoke well of them, to her pride as a leader and a trainer.<p>

In the corner of her eye, a cherry red fire bloomed on the far side of the shimmering barrier. Yet another anchor for the barrier obliterated. No doubt the Hakurei shrine maiden would know exactly what the flame portended; Momiji's job was simpler. Remove the threat to Gensokyo and Lord Tenma at all costs.

But the simple in battle was anything but, and the costs would be paid in blood by her squad. As she contemplated the foe that could melt stone and shake the hills, Momiji muttered an ancient soldier's prayer underneath her breath.

"For what we are about to receive, make us grateful."


	4. Drawing Out Leviathan

_**Look to the Eastern Sky**_

_**Book One of the Clockwork Devils**_

_**Written by Achariyth**_

_Under the shrine maiden's watchful gaze, a dozen soldiers stepped across the veil of _Maya_, and illusion became reality. As Momiji and Mokou lead the wolf _tengu_ into Japan, Reimu sighed wistfully._

"_Reimu," Yukari said. The boundary _youkai_ stepped next to the shrine maiden and watched as the last soldier disappeared from view._

"_I know," Reimu said, still staring at where the wolves crossed over. She looked at Yukari and flashed a wan smile. "It's all your fault."_

_The boundary _youkai _hid her shock behind narrow eyes and her ever-present fan. "Really?"_

_Reimu sighed. "I should have never listened to you when you told me to start training. I would have never had this power if it wasn't for you, and I could-"_

"_I seem to remember someone being so eager to learn," Yukari said, interrupting. She eyed Reimu coolly. "Stop pouting, it doesn't become you. Besides, we have work-"_

_Yukari's fan clattered to the floor as the _youkai _vanished in mid sentence. Reimu-holding-Yukari smiled as she channeled the essence of Yukari Yakumo in the center of her being. Yukari's training had proven useful after all. _

That was rude, _Yukari-held-by-Reimu complained, her voice and presence a buzzing ember in the shrine maiden's mind. _Ask next time, or at least warn me.

The faster we fix this mess, the faster I can protect my people. You know, my _other _duty. _Reimu-holding-Yukari snapped at the presence within. The shrine maiden sat down on the steps of her shrine, closed her eyes, and meditated. An image of their lands circumscribed in golden light filled her mind before slipping away into a rapidly shifting jumble of random images and sounds._

You're breaking my concentration. _Channeler and channeled complained alike._

You've been using your power like that? _Yukari-held-by-Reimu said bemusedly. _Ooguninushi no Mikoto? Little priestesses might not want to spy on a god like that or they're going to waddle around their shrines with a belly full soon. Still, he is quite handsome, so I can't really blame you.

Stop snooping! _Reimu-holding-Yukari snapped, her cheeks glowing as red as her clothes. _

Shield your thoughts then. Yorihime should have taught you better. _Yukari-held-by-Reimu said. Her mind glow turned to mock horror. _Aren't we full of ourselves? What would Gensokyo do without its shrine maiden?

Whatever. _Reimu-holding-Yukari said in a sullen manner. _Let's just get to work.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4 - Drawing Out Leviathan<strong>

_Its snorting throws out flashes of light;_

_Its eyes are like the rays of dawn._

_When it rises up, the mighty are terrified;_

_They retreat before its thrashing._

_Arrows do not make it flee;_

_Slingstones are like chaff to it._

_Nothing on earth is its equal-_

_A creature without fear._

_It looks down on all that are haughty;_

_It is king over all the children of pride._

-Job 41:19, 25, 28, 33, 34

* * *

><p>Lady Mokou Fujiwara crouched down behind a fallen tree trunk next to Momiji. Her eyes sought the wolf sergeant's, waiting for her cue. It had taken longer than she had expected to fly out of the shrine and onto the Japanese side of the barrier. Seeing the golden shimmer on the wrong side only added to the phoenix girl's fidgeting. Japan held too many vivid memories for the immortal; most of them she wished she could forget.<p>

Momiji had chosen this ground, filled with stone and scattered trees and brush. With their backs to the barrier, the wolf _tengu _sergeant had selected a perfect spot to ambush a being traveling alongside Gensokyo's magical wall. All the squad had to do now was wait.

Mokou hated waiting. Staying in one place for too long tended to create those vivid memories that now plagued her mind. It did not help that she was alone with her dark thoughts; the squad was spread out and centered on Momiji. While she had better fieldcraft than to drum her fingers against the tree trunk, the phoenix girl quivered as she strained for any sight of the Blue Djinn or anything else to break the monotony and fell mood.

She felt the wolf warrior's presence next to her; Momiji had not made a sound as she drew near. "Calm down," the sergeant said in a low voice. A whisper would have been louder.

"Easy for you to say," Mokou hissed, turning to face the newcomer.

Momiji frowned at the phoenix girl, her lips in a moue of thought. She reached out and undid the tall bow-like charm the duchess used to hold her hair. "I could see that a kilometer away," she said, pulling Mokou's long pale hair together and retying the charm at the base of the noblewoman's neck. "Not only that, but you need to calm down. You're going to burn yourself out."

"Somehow, I doubt that," Mokou said, pointing to the charms in her hair and on her pants. "And even if I did, the elixir would repair it."

"That not what I meant. You're still human, and there's a still a price for flooding your system with emotion and adrenaline," Momiji said, crouching closer to Mokou.

"Gee, thanks, Sarge," Mokou said, ignoring Momiji's icy glare at the nickname. "But shouldn't you be checking on your troops?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Momiji said, shaking her head. Her voice grew sterner. "As I said, I could tell you were emotionally burning yourself out a kilometer away. There's a price for that. You were summoning your adrenaline too soon, which will leave you tired during the battle. And in battle, fear and fatigue are one and the same. I can't have you scared or it may catch to my soldiers. Flee, and my girls will follow. Flee, and we die faster than if we stood in place."

"Okay, I get it," Mokou said, rolling her eyes. While it felt good to have someone to talk to, she always resented lectures.

Momiji snorted. "No, you do not. It gets worse. Adrenaline saturation makes you stupid. As in 'let me dodge this small danmaku by jumping in front of a Master Spark' stupid. Or 'I'm being chased by Cirno so I'm going to trample Yuuka's sunflowers in my escape.' "It happens to everyone at one time or another. Just push the 'I Believe' button and _sit!"_

Mokou rolled her eyes again. For some reason the wolves loved making dog jokes.

A trilling birdcall pierced the air. Momiji placed a finger against her lips and signaled for her squad to hide. "What is he up to?" she muttered, pointing towards a dark blue figure.

Mokou pulled a spell card free. She took a deep breath and parted her lips.

"Remember," Momiji growled, before Mokou could started the traditional screaming of the spell card's name. "Only an idiot shouts 'here I am' before an ambush."

The phoenix girl flashed a quick glare before resuming her vigil over the field. Spell card in hand, Mokou watched the Djinn walk through the field. She could all but feel Momiji's hand hovering above her shoulder.

The hand fell, gripping Mokou's shoulder. Immediately, the spell card in her hand glowed white, erupting into fire that washed over field and foe alike. Seconds later, ten danmaku sprays streamed through the gaps in Mokou's Phoenix Tail. Out of the corner of her eye, Mokou saw Momiji alone not firing. Instead, the wolf sergeant scanned the field, watching her squad and her enemy.

Caught in the middle of the field, away from cover or concealment, the Djinn stood in the center of an engulfing flame, a dark shadow seared within white fire.

* * *

><p>"So, what are we doing here?" Alice asked, sliding off Marisa's broomstick and onto the grass.<p>

"Nitori always has a few good gadgets," Marisa said. The witch stood up off her broom and used it like a walking stick. "She has to have something I can use on that Djinn."

"And how would you know this?" Alice said, setting her Shanghai doll on her shoulder. "Don't tell me you're stealing from someone new?"

"I used a couple of her gadgets when Utsuho was running rampant-" Marisa began, and then scowled. "Don't look at me like that. I used your dolls too."

"I gave you eight Hourai dolls," Alice said, walking along the water's edge. "That should be overkill for anything you could ever come across."

"You obviously haven't needed to get away from Koishi," Marisa muttered, as they approached a cave. "Hold on a moment."

Alice eyed the cave's mouth. A tall, thick berm of compacted clay had been built along the side of the entrance. Large craters dotted the earthen works at waist level. "Why?"

"Let's just say that the cave's entrance used to be much smaller…" Marisa said, pursing her lips. Her eyes searched the shadows. The witch took a ginger step towards the cave, and then another. She eased herself closer to the opening. "Hello? Nitorin?"

At the mention of the _kappa's _nickname, a thin red light lanced out of the dark, settling on the witch's apron. In the dark, servos whined and a ring of metal dropped into metal echoed loudly. Marisa's eyes widened, and she dove to her left. Dirt sprayed the cave from the new crater in the berm. Alice ran out to pick Marisa up, but the blonde rolled to her feet and waved the doll master away.

"Nitorin, it's me, Marisa!" she called out, scooping her witch's hat off the ground.

A mechanized voice chirped, "Engaging Kirisame protocols." The servos whined again, and a giant woven net flew through the air, pinning Marisa to the ground.

"Nitorin, whatever you think I did, it wasn't me," Marisa said, struggling to free her entangled limbs.

"Oh, please," Alice said as she cut at the net with her belt knife. The Shanghai had walked to the floor, cutting at the net as well. "And you wonder why Eki Shiki thinks you have a lying problem."

Marisa snorted, and turned her head. "Never told one in my life, Alice, and you know it. Alice-" The witch pointed to where another red light had settled on the puppet master's dress.

"Initiating rat elimination," the lifeless voice said tonelessly. Popping sounds echoed from inside the cave.

Alice dropped the knife, grabbed her skirts, and ran. An inferno erupted from the cave, chasing the doll master as she scrambled behind the earthen berm. The fire died down, leaving scorched earth in its wake.

"What the hell did I do to her?" Alice called out from her hiding spot. The Shanghai doll poked its head and a shaking clenched first out from behind Marisa. Parts of the net smoldered.

Marisa babbled as her mind rebooted. Settling down into coherency, Marisa yelled. "Damn it, Nitorin, your crap's gone bonkers again!"

"Oh, don't tell me the IFF's gone nuts again," a high-pitched voice said from inside the cave. "I hope it didn't made too much of a mess."

"The damn thing almost fried me, Nitorin," Marisa bellowed.

"Don't forget about me," Alice hollered.

"Marisa, is that you? Hold on, let me turn this thing off." The air filled with the cacophony of metal against metal, ending with a loud crash. "That should do it." A blue-haired _kappa_ girl walked out of the cave.

"Are you out of your mind? Whatever that was almost killed me," Alice shouted, sliding down the earth works.

"Patchouli wanted something new for her library," Nitori said shrugging. The _kappa_ inventor dug through a myriad of overburdened pockets in her denim dress. "She said she had problems with rats."

"I don't think she's worried about Nazrin," Alice said, glaring at Marisa. The witch's sticky fingers were legendary throughout Gensokyo.

Nitori cut through the net with a curved blade. The witch whistled as Alice pulled her to her feet. "This'll make the book raids even more fun."

"You're impossible," Alice said, shaking her head.

"Do come in," Nitori said, beckoning with her hands. "I have some tea brewing."

As the trio walked through the cave, Alice noticed an empty tripod surrounded by shattered plastic, metal, and circuitry. Something had embedded a wrench the length of her arm in the largest chunk of machinery. She looked up at the girlish _kappa_, who flashed a benign smile, and shuddered.

* * *

><p>The white inferno dulled to red. The barrage of <em>tengu <em>fire slackened as flame spiraled into a ball around the head of the Djinn's mace.

"Get down!" Momiji shouted. Mokou dove to the ground, while Momiji tackled a nearby squad mate to the ground.

The first fireball caught a pair of wolf soldiers who heard the shouted warning too late. Only ash and shadow remained. The second blast caught another wolf that left a leg exposed while hiding. The leg vanished, mercifully cauterized by the same flame.

"Medic!" her partner howled, tying a tourniquet above her wounded friend's knee.

Mokou watched as a younger wolf _tengu_, Private Kaede, if she remembered right, dashed out from her cover. By this time, danmaku fire and actinic tears streaked across the field. Spell cards, lasers, and grapeshot patterns rippled towards the monster. Momiji's girls were going to get their own back.

Private Kaede, concentrating on the rush to the wounded, stumbled and fell. Mokou swore, flying out of her hiding place. The phoenix girl scooped the private up and shoved the girl to her feet and cover.

"Godsdammit, Mokou, get back here," Momiji bellowed. Rabies Bite, a thick swarm of danmaku that closed on its target like the jaws of a maddened wolf, tore towards the Djinn. "Let him have it! Pour it on!"

The Djinn deigned not to dodge the withering fire, but bore the brunt on his armor. Around him, silver disks multiplied rapidly as the phoenix girl ran back towards Momiji. An actinic teardrop shot out, catching Mokou center-mass in her chest. Between thermal bloom and hydrostatic shock, the phoenix girl's torso sublimed instantly into vapor.

An icy chill took hold of what was left of Mokou, then, darkness…

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, I don't often get human visitors," Nitori said, carrying an English teapot. She set it down on the long worktable. As she poured tea, she glanced at the Shanghai doll. "Or dolls. I'm sorry; I don't know the etiquette for this. Am I supposed to serve her?"<p>

"There's no need to fuss over us," Alice said, taking a full mug from Nitori. "And don't worry about her. She'll serve herself if she wants any."

"Okay…" Nitori said, blinking.

"The little rascal likes heat," Marisa said, sipping from her own mug. "Just watch, that Shanghai'll cozy right up to your teapot and hug it if you let her."

The doll cut a porcelain glare at the witch and walked towards Alice, pointedly ignoring Marisa.

"I'm curious, Alice, just how do your dolls work?" Nitori asked, sitting down. She watched the Shanghai doll move with determined interest.

"A magician never reveals her secrets," Alice said, primly. "What would you say if I asked how that fire thing of yours worked?"

Marisa froze in mid sip, her mug resting against her lips. The smile on her face grew strained. "Oh, no."

Nitori sat forward, her eyes aglow. "Really? You'd like to know?"

"Not really-" Alice began, squirming under the inventor's intense gaze.

Nitori pulled out a blue roll of paper from her backpack, unfurling it on the workbench. Pointing to various parts of the design written on the scroll, she spoke. "I never know where to start. Power, timing, signals? Or maybe just the overall design? You don't know what it means to have a human take such an interest in my work. Even Sanae and Marisa-"

Porcelain clattered as Marisa's teacup was tipped over and tea flowed across the table. The Shanghai doll stepped lively, raising her skirts as she danced away from the growing puddle. Nitori hastily rolled her blueprints up.

"I'm sorry, Nitorin. I seem to be clumsy today. Can I help you clean up?" Marisa said, covered her mouth as her cheeks reddening. As the witch soaked up the puddle with her napkin, she leaned towards Alice. "You owe me for this. Big time."

When last of the spilt tea vanished, Marisa turned to Nitori. "So, what's new?"

"You only love me for my toys," Nitori said, smiling.

Alice choked on her tea. Her Shanghai doll scurried next to her and pounded on her back.

"Not 'only,'" Marisa drawled, batting her eyes at the _kappa_. "But you do make the coolest stuff in Gensokyo."

"It's a good thing you stopped by then," Nitori said, rushing into her workshop.

"Flatterer," Alice whispered, her eyes narrowing.

"Don't get jealous, honey, you'll get your turn again," Marisa cooed. "Besides, it's true. Just watch what Nitori brings."

Alice recalled the fire at the cave's mouth and scowled. "I will, I assure you."

"Oh, here it is!" Nitori called out from the jungle of metal and plastic. She walked out, holding what appeared to be a small straw-colored ring in the palm of her hand. A second glance at the ring showed that it seemed to be two woven bands intertwined so that it was impossible to see the beginning or end of either.

"An Endless Knot?" Alice said. Sure, it was a pretty design, but she failed to see how it'd be a great invention.

Nitori closed her hand over the invention, glaring at the doll-master. "Who told you?"

Alice shook her head. "I meant the pattern. That's the name of a Celtic weaving pattern. I'm surprised to see it in Gensokyo."

"Celtic?" Nitori said, showing her invention again. "I just found the name in the Voile Library. The rest was just imagination and first principles. Let me show you what it does."

The _kappa_ pulled on a loop in the knot, drawing more chord out of the knot than could be reasonably expected. As her fingers slipped, Nitori said the most dreaded words any inventor could say:

"Oops!"

Marisa grabbed Alice, pulling her away from the engineer. Great loops of rope uncoiled from the knot, winding around all three girls. Nitori panicked, tugging on another loop. The coils retracted, pulling the snared girls towards the knot and each other.

Alice found herself face-to-face with Marisa. The witch grinned, rolling her eyes to a green sprig in the brim of her hat. "Look, mistletoe."

The puppeteer rolled her eyes and turned her head. "You never stop."

"All part of my charm," Marisa said. "Along with black snakeroot and hoodoo ashes."

"I get it," Alice sighed. "You've got your mojo working."

"It just won't work on you," Marisa pouted.

On the floor and outside the knot's tangle, the Shanghai doll took an inquisitive look at Marisa and Alice and mimed laughing. The doll master sighed. "I know this is funny, but get over here and help us."

"How did this happen?" Nitori said aloud. "Let me check my notes. Could someone get them out of my back dress pocket?" Marisa handed the _kappa_ a short spiral notebook. "Could your doll hold this for me?"

The Shanghai doll stopped laughing and walked over to Nitori. The engineer flipped a page in the book, and started manipulating the ropes as a child plays cat's cradle. The coils slackened around each girl before dropping to the floor. The girls stepped away from the knot, each rubbing wrists or other raw spots.

"Sorry about that," Nitori said, twisting and pulling strings until the knot was the size and shape of a bracelet. She left the invention on the floor

"Interesting. Do you have anything flashier?" Marisa asked. The witch scooped down and pocketed the endless knot.

Nitori bit her lip. "That wasn't good enough?"

"There's an incident brewing, and our foe won't play by spell card rules," Alice said.

Nitori paused, pursed her lips and then nodded. "Why didn't you say so?" she said, perking back up and opening a thick metal door.

"Nitorin, darling, you've been holding out on me," Marisa said, whistling as she looked inside.

* * *

><p>Somewhere in an inky black darkness, low sursurations of unintelligible noise murmured. As though the source rushed closer, the noise Dopplered higher and louder, the cacophony ebbing away until words finally made sense.<p>

"Snap out of it!" Momiji said, shaking the duchess's shoulders. The immortal phoenix girl's eyes snapped open and darkness turned to brilliant light.

"Kaguya!" Mokou bellowed, jerking upright. As her vision cleared, she looked around at the pockmarked field. Seeing the wolf sergeant pallid and uneasy, she asked, "What happened?"

"No one should ever watch you resurrect, especially on a full stomach," Momiji said. She still kept her bearing, but her face held a greenish cast.

Mokou patted herself down and frowned. While the wards on her pants had kept them intact through the intense heat and flame, her shirt had been reduced to ash. Turning toward the Djinn, she yelled, "Keine gave me that shirt, you bastard!"

"Shut up! Can you move?" Momiji said, crouching low behind her rocky cover.

"Yeah, I can," Mokou said, covering herself with an arm.

"Good. I just lost two more of my girls. We're leaving," Momiji said, her face a stern mask.

Mokou looked down at her bare skin and frowned. "Gimme a bandage first, will you?"

"Wrap yourself up on the move," Momiji hissed, tossing the duchess a roll from her belt pouch. Mokou snagged the bandages out of the air with her free hand.

"Ready!" Private Kaede yelled. The private had treated her patient and worked her way back to her original cover.

"Set!" Momiji bellowed, jerking Mokou to her feet. The phoenix girl bobbled the bandages in her hand before catching the roll.

"Go!" Kaede said, popping up and unleashing danmaku hell.

Momiji ran, dragging Mokou with her. Twenty feet away, she pulled Mokou down behind a stony outcropping. "Ready!"

Kaede dropped behind cover and turned to face her next cover. "Set!"

Momiji growled as she stood up, firing dense patterns of danmaku. "And here's the fun part, trying to keep a retreat from becoming a rout. Go!"

* * *

><p>"Nitorin, make these lighter next time," Marisa complained as she carried a pile of what looked like metal lanterns in her arms. The witch squinted as she stepped out of the cave and into the light.<p>

The _kappa_ shrugged. Five long tubes, each tipped with what looked like an elongated child's top, were strapped to her back. One was encased in a larger tube with a pistol grip and trigger. An automatic shotgun with a spring-loaded bayonet, an ammunition drum, and an even larger barrel slung underneath, hung from a tactical strap across the _kappa's _chest. She carried two bags of the not-quite lanterns in her hands. "I can make them light, or I can make them work, your choice."

"I'm not sure what they even do," Alice said. Her arms were also full of lanterns and what looked like plastic bricks. Her Shanghai doll carried one brick with the label "Front Towards Enemy" constantly pointed at Marisa.

"Well-" Nitori drawled. She clamped a metal hook to the broom, tying her two bags to it.

"The short version, please. Function only," Marisa said, setting the lanterns own next to her broom. She took a large span of cloth and began wrapping them into an improvised bag.

"I call them 'catches,'" the inventor said, checking the tightness of her gear straps.

Alice bagged up her armload. Pointing at the shotgun, she said, "And is there any reason why you brought that abomination?"

"'Abomination,'" Nitori chuckled. "Good name."

"I'd give it a cuter name," Marisa said. "But I'd use danmaku first."

"If they don't play by the rules, who says we need to," Nitori said, cradling her weapon. "I guarantee no one'll be able to graze or dodge this."

"Where's the grace and beauty in that?" Marisa complained.

"These aren't days for grace or beauty," a clear melodious voice replied. The three girls turned. Ran Yakumo stepped out of a blinking-eyed portal, her hands hidden in voluminous sleeves. Nine silky tails beat the air as the fox-woman stepped close.

"Hey, Ran-" Marisa said, and then noticed the frown on the familiar's face.

"Bad news?" Alice said, wrapping up the last bundle.

Ran nodded. "Momiji Inubashiri, that hotheaded bitch, attacked the Djinn hours ahead of the plan."

"Is she alright?" Nitori asked, chewing her lip.

"She's alive," Ran said. "But she's in full retreat, chased by the Djinn towards the Hakurei shrine."

Marisa swore. "We wanted to prevent that."

"Lady Yakumo has sent me to rally the defense. When this is over, I might just have a new wolfskin rug," Ran said. She stopped as metal slid against metal. "Put that toy down, Nitori. Your commitment to your friend does you credit, but it you wish to help her, you must come with me."

The portal behind Ran widened to let four walk through, side by side.

Nitori lowered her shotgun and stepped through the portal. Shrugging, Marisa floated through next, her broom burdened with heavy bundles. Alice picked up her doll and followed, accompanied by Ran.

* * *

><p>"Well, this is disappointing," Marisa said as Alice came through the portal. The Hakurei shrine stood before them. "I thought that there'd be fighting."<p>

"I thought there'd be more of us here," Alice said, massaging her temples. Portal transportation gave her headaches.

Ran sighed. "Chen's getting more, and I must leave to do so as well."

Nitori set a lantern-like device down at her feet. "Before you go. Which way is Momiji coming?"

Ran nodded in the general direction before vanishing. Nitori walked up to Marisa's broom, taking one of the heavy bundles hanging from the handle.

"What are these again?" Alice asked, carrying a few of the lanterns.

"Catches," Nitori said, activating one. The lantern spun once, and then the sides slid free. A faint yellow glow shone through the openings.

"These aren't going to blow up or anything?" Marisa asked, hopeful.

"No, that'd be the brick that doll keeps on trying to shove down the back of your dress," Nitori said, activating another. Marisa looked around at her feet, trying to spy out the Shanghai doll. "Little doll, could you bring that here?"

The Shanghai doll waddled over, handing the explosive to the inventor. Nitori stuck a blasting cap into the plastic and then slammed it into the ground.

"Since we're improvising like mad now," Alice stated, willing her doll to return. "Mind explaining a little more?"

"It's a catch. It catches," Nitori said, setting up more of her devices. "Danmaku mostly, but it'll pull anything shot or thrown towards it."

"Seems like cheating," Marisa said, scowling at the metal lanterns.

"If you aren't, you aren't trying," Nitori said. "I seem to have heard that from someone here."

Alice sighed. "That's great and all, but did Ran say how many more people'd be here?"

Marisa watched Nitori walk through the steps in setting up a catch. The witch then grabbed a free catch, and mimicked the _kappa's _actions. "It's not like we've needed numbers before. Strength, beauty, and clever tactics have made up for our lack."

"Forget clever, I'd rather have numbers on my side," Nitori said. "It'd be a nice change."

"Unfortunately, it hasn't helped Momiji," Alice said. The puppet master looked at her single Shanghai doll and shook her head. Taking out a deck of spell cards, Alice muttered an incantation. Three London dolls appeared in a fog, carrying a bound grimoire.

"Say, Alice, when are you going to let me take a look through that?" Marisa asked, setting up yet another of Nitori's inventions.

"Not now. Take that as you wish," Alice said. She flicked ten spell cards into the air. Each glowed incandescent before disgorging dolls from London, Orleans, Holland, Tibet, Kyoto, Shanghai, and Hourai. Of the various types of dolls, Shanghai and Hourai dominated in numbers.

Marisa whistled at the century of dolls lining up into ranks. "You did say you wanted numbers, Nitori."

"I changed my mind," Nitori said, staring out past where the shimmering barrier met the horizon. "I'd like Momiji here, safely."

Another of Yukari's portals opened. "Now, now, kitty girl, don't stare at me like I'm some sort of a snack!" Hatate said as she backed out of the portal into the field.

"Bye bye, birdie," Chen's voice purred from the portal. From her vantage point, Alice watched as the Black Cat of Ill Omens waved.

"Damn you, Yukari!" Hatate screamed as the portal blinked shut.

"What did she do now?" Marisa asked, walking over to the reporter.

"Someone had the idea for something called an 'embedded reporter,'" Hatate said. "I told her 'no,' but she didn't take that for an answer. Just for that, I'll write a searing expose about her."

"I don't think she can be embarrassed or shamed," Alice said. "And what's an embedded reporter?"

"A battlefield pest or so Momiji says," Nitori said. "She certainly complains when Aya tags along."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not Aya," Hatate said, haughtily.

"So you'll actually be helping us?" Alice asked.

"Haven't you heard of the neutrality of the press?" Hatate said, feigning shock.

Marisa stepped in front of Hatate, wearing her most winsome smile as she leaned in close to the _tengu_. Hatate stepped back, blushing and squirming. The witch cooed, "But you write the stories, don't you? No one will know but us." Her voice turned soft and husky, her eyes smoldering. "Let's call it our little secret. I'll keep yours, and in return, I'll share one of mind. It'd be yours. Exclusively."

Hatate's blush deepened, but the girl steadied herself. "Make it an interview-"

"Aw, you don't want me to pose for your camera?" Marisa asked hopefully.

"-only," Hatate said, pushing the witch away.

Alice stepped between the crow and the witch. "We have preparations to make, not negotiations."

"Pity," Marisa purred and flounced back to her stack of catches.

"Thanks for the lift, Ran," Suwako said, stepping through another of Yukari's portals. "Find Kogasa. No doubt my idiot granddaughter's playing kissy-face with her."

The portal disappeared, leaving a sullen frog goddess alone. She looked up, and counted. "I thought we'd have more of you here. So, we're making our stand here?"

"I guess," Alice shrugged. "I'm not sure; Ran didn't give us much time."

Nitori sighed as she cupped a hand next to an ear. "Listen."

For the first time since arriving, faint cracks and crackles could be heard in the distance. If she strained, Alice could see faint white flashing behind the hills and trees.

"Step towards me," Suwako commanded, slapping her hands on the ground. A span of earth some fifty meters long thrust itself up from the ground until it was a meter high, shaking the ground around the frog goddess. She smirked, brushing her hands clean. "I bet they felt that one in China."

Nitori ran to the earthen wall, and pulled a paperback-sized contraption from her dress pockets. The object split open and she put the spyglass up to her eyes. "They're coming."

"When you see them, start shooting. Keep the spell cards until they're closer," Suwako said. Noticing everyone's stares, she shrugged. "What? I've had to fight a few battles."

Sure enough, white and red specks could be seen scrambling over hills. At three-hundred meters distance, the figures were less than a centimeter in height.

"I should have brought a rifle," Nitori said, pointing at the blue figure chasing the white and red ones. Blue flashed from her free hand as single danmaku shots lashed downrange.

Marisa and Suwako followed suit, sending small clusters through the gaps between soldiers. Alice rallied her dolls to the wall's top, often by creating towers of dolls. She sent the command for each to fire only at what she herself shot at before adding her own flames and lasers to the growing barrage.

"Two hundred yards," Nitori muttered, dropping down against the wall and unlimbering what Alice glossed as an abomination. She waited, shouldering the shotgun and peering down the sights.

The fire intensified as the wolf soldiers drew closer. A loud staccato chattering interrupted the crystal chime of danmaku. Nitori paused, slapped another drum into her shotgun, and the stuttering resumed.

Alice covered her ears, but kept her dolls firing in more complex patterns at the blue figure. She could see the silver disks Aya reported lash out towards the fleeing wolves. No matter how much shot hurled toward the Djinn or his disks, his fire did not shift. Alice aimed instead at the ground in front of the Djinn, hoping to obscure its vision or force a misstep.

"Friendlies," a haggard voice bellowed, bounding across the last fifty meters. Four wolves bounded over the top of the wall, rolling as they hit the ground.

Momiji rolled to her feet and hit the wall. "I still have two more and Mokou out there. You have something to help them?"

"He doesn't seem to be paying attention to us," Marisa pouted.

"Give me a moment," Suwako said, sketching a small magic circle around Marisa.

* * *

><p>Beating feet. The Mogadishu Mile. The Bug Out Boogie. While Mokou would not have recognized the terms, she would recognize the meaning.<p>

Run like hell.

Momiji's orderly retreat under fire had fallen apart after another of her troops fell to the silver flame. Terror quickly seized the _tengu_ survivors, and the wolves ran pell-mell towards the Hakurei shrine, some five kilometers away. Staying would have been death again, so Mokou ran after the fleeing troops.

Dirt and rock kicked up all around Mokou's feet as she ran erratically, scrambling over rock and fallen tree trunks. Her chest and throat burned, and her lips sought the cooling draught of water. Even with growing thirst and acid-burned muscles, she knew she could endure. At worst, she would wake up again, with the desire to work out a righteous mad on Kaguya,

The _tengu_, on the other hand, would not fare as well. Already, fear, fatigue, and heat sapped strength, and adrenalin overdose stole away skill and coordination. Steps were less sure, and occasionally, a weary wolf would pick herself up from the ground.

Another fell to the ground, rolling and staggering upright before falling down again. The Djinn's fire kicked up clumps of earth as destruction walked its way towards the fallen wolf.

Mokou ripped a spell card free. She had run out of Kaguya killers long before now. Only showy patterned cards used only for duels of beauty remained. Not counting the one in use, she was down to her last. Mokou prayed it would be enough.

The card glowed as Mokou rose off the ground. Clusters of danmaku appeared around her, their showering bursts obscuring the immortal and her protected with growing circles and figures. The return fire shifted away from the fallen, forcing Mokou to flitter about, avoiding the too-close trails of silver fire.

Beneath the barrage, Kaede reached her comrade. She draped an arm over her shoulder and stood up, staggering as the fallen hung from her back. She waddled towards the shrine.

Mokou's spell card faded. The phoenix girl swore, tossing fire by the fist full. Beneath the flame, Kaede stepped surely but ever so slowly. Any moment, and the ire Mokou had drawn would fade, and two more _tengu_ would grace the Judge of Paradise's throne room. The other remaining _tengu_ added their own powers to thicken Mokou's barrage.

If there were time to think, the immortal rival of the Moon would have weighed the use of her final spell card against the lives saved now and the lives potentially saved later. She might have considered the length of the fight with the likelihood the battle would rage onwards for even longer. She might have cursed her profligate squandering of precious cards earlier, leaving her little option but to eventually die in another's place.

Maybe.

In the heat of the moment, Mokou's final spell card flew into her hand. Landing between Djinn and fleeing _tengu_, she fed power into the card.

"Get down, all of you!" Momiji's voice boomed out across the field.

Over the shouts and cries of the battlefield, over the whistling of danmaku and the crackling of plasma, a single sound pealed out its tocsin warning.

_OMMINOUSS HUUUUMMMM!_

Mokou threw herself to the ground as _**power **_ripped the air above her, buffeting all in its wake. The light of millions of searchlights focused upon the Djinn, knocking it over and kicking up an opaque wall of dust and debris.

As Mokou ran to Kaede and helped both medic and patient run to the shrine, she found herself for the first and perhaps only time grateful to see a Master Spark.

* * *

><p>Perched on the lip of Suwako's earthen wall, Alice peered out across the battlefield, shielding her eyes with her hands. All along the rim, a maniple of dolls copied her action as she waited for the dust to clear.<p>

Next to the puppeteer, Marisa whistled and turned towards Suwako with a grin. "I need you to juice up my spell cards more often."

"Overkill much?" Alice asked. The dust wall finally began to settle

"There's no such thing as overkill," Marisa said as Alice groaned. "Only 'open fire' and 'I need another spell card.'"

"Where should I put the next one?" Marisa asked, turning towards the wolf sergeant.

Momiji squinted, blocking the sun's glare with a free hand. She waited, until shadow and then metal could be seen through the clearing haze. "A little left. He's standing up… Fire!"

Marisa grinned again, letting another overpowered Master Spark fly.

"I don't see why you all are so worried," Hatate said, scribbling madly into a small spiral notebook.

"Only the Divine Spark has scratched him, and we only have a couple more of them," Suwako said.

"It'll get harder," Momiji asked.

"Pessimist."

"No fair, I wanted to name the attack," Marisa said. "Another shot?"

Momiji shook her head, as Mokou and two _tengu _soldiers rolled over the crest of the raised earthen wall

"What the hell was that?" Mokou said, panting. An Orleans doll handed the girl a sealed canteen. The immortal drained the contents and handed the canister back to the doll. Other dolls took care of Kaede and her charge. She saw Nitori and her eyes widened. Mokou pointed at the inventor. "Strike that, what the hell is that?"

Nitori kneeled down next to the others, carrying a long metal tube with an elongated top tipping it. She looked behind her, saw no one there, and took aim. The top flew straight, fast, and true, impacting on the Djinn in a cloud of flame and smoke.

"Did that actually do anything?" Alice said, frowning.

"It looked cool," Marisa said, scrawling a magic circle around a spell card. As she drew, Suwako added ancient writing and intricate curly-cues to the circle.

Hatate crouched below the ridgeline, holding her cell phone camera above it. She shook her head as she glanced at the brilliant white screen. "Whatever's out there is too bright for my camera."

Multiple actinic streaks scythed to Nitori's position…

…and arced towards one of her lantern-like contraptions. The metal shone, showering sparks before dulling to a subdued cherry-red.

Four more catches showered sparks across the line, breaking the chalk symbols in the magic circle. Smoke sizzled from the chalk. Suwako's eye widened and the native goddess dove into the earth. Marisa rolled away from the circle, tackling Hatate and covering the crow _tengu_ with her body.

Alice crouched behind a growing wall of shield-bearing French dolls. She caught a brilliant flash-

* * *

><p>Something hard and ridged dragged itself across her breastbone, tracing waves of tingling fire from her neck to her stomach. She gasped, squirming away from the pressure on her sternum.<p>

"Are you okay?" a familiar voice called to her. She sensed a shadow loom over her and yelped as something dug deeper into her chest bone. "Stay with me."

"Stop!" Alice gasped, opening her eyes. The weight lifted off her chest. Afterimages flooded her vision, but two long white leafy shapes slowly stood out from the blurs of purple and green. "Reisen?"

"Thank Chang'e," the moon hare said. Alice could feel two sets of hands patting her down in a repeating pattern of pat-pat-pause. "Are you hurt?"

"I feel bruised, nothing more," Alice said, her vision clearing. She felt a breeze. Covering her chest, she scowled. "Was that necessary?"

"I'm a medic, not a peeping tom," Reisen said, rolling her eyes. Eirin had always taught her the skin against skin rule of medicine as it was often the easiest way to check on injuries. Of course, the side benefits were quite enjoyable if the patient was shapely, male or female.

Behind Reisen, Alice noticed Mokou as she stepped over two dolls and crouched down to a sprawled prone figure. "She's breathing."

Alice laced up the front of her dress and shot the lunar hare a disapproving stare. It faded; however, as the puppet master noticed that once green hills more closely resembled a lunar craterscape. "What's going on? What happened?"

"Ask Ran," the medic said, as she stood up and made her way to another fallen form. "I need to check on someone else."

"Marisa?"

"Hopefully she got some sense knocked into her." The moon hare shook the fallen's shoulders.

The doll maker sighed, and then closed her eyes. Myriad dolls stood up, dusted themselves off, and saw to their damaged comrades.

Low tones peeled out, a mixture of a tympani drum's roll and a cymbal's crashing ring.

"What was that?" Alice asked aloud, rolling to her feet.

"The Djinn's attacking the barrier directly," Ran said, materializing next to the doll master.

"Why aren't we stopping it?" Alice asked, pursing her lips as she glanced at the barrier.

"With what? Yukari and Reimu are too busy to help, and it's just you, me, Reisen, and Mokou right now to try to beat him and take care of our fallen," Ran said, waving her hand across their surroundings. Bodies lay sprawled around a shallow crater where Marisa's magic circle once sat inscribed. Mokou helped a wolf soldier sit upright, before tying a twisted arm into a sling around her neck.

Soil fell into the earth as a small sinkhole grew near the fox. Suwako's hat appeared first, then the full goddess, as she climbed out of the hole wiping dirt from her purple dress. "Next time, I'll have to add a 'Zod' rune," Suwako muttered. "So, any gateways to nightmarish new worlds or fundamental changes in the laws of physics? We're all still sane, right?"

"As best as I can tell," Ran said, glowering at the goddess.

"Pity," Suwako said, exaggerating a flounce.

"Hatate's fine," Reisen called out from next to the fallen crow. "She's just sleeping. Alice, could we use your dolls to help with Marisa?"

With a wave of Alice's hand, six Tibetan dolls shouldered weapons and walked towards the lunar hare. "Give them simple commands."

"Twelve extra hands should be enough," Ran said, shaking her head as she latched onto Alice's arm. "We still have an attack to foil."

The trickster-fox pointed to the barrier. Silver flecks faded to black, marring shimmering gold. Occasionally, the black scars were swallowed by golden glow, but never enough to match the growing pockmarks on the surface.

Alice wondered how to stop the attack; Remilia's earlier suggestion of drawing the Djinn away had ever-growing appeal. "You said we didn't have enough to do everything."

"We still have to try. Reisen, send the hale towards me when you can," Ran called out, hurrying towards her enemy.

"What should I do with the wounded?"

"Take them away from the barrier and hide," the fox called over her shoulder.

"What are we going to do?" Alice said, rushing to keep pace with the vixen.

Ran shook her head. "I don't know, I'm making this up as I go."

* * *

><p>Reisen Udongein Inaba shook her head as Ran left with Suwako and Alice in tow. She would have preferred not to move the wounded, but Ran was intent on making a stand.<p>

Looking over the bodies of the fallen, she divided them mentally into three categories: those who did not need immediate help, those who would pull through with proper prompt treatment, and those who could not be saved even with heroic measures. Mercifully, there were none in that last group, and Ran had taken those few of the first. That left eight or so she needed to move to safety using only herself, her assistant Yukimi, Mokou, and six dolls.

"Start checking for spinal injuries first," she ordered, kneeling next to Nitori's head. She rubbed the supine _kappa's _breastbone with the knuckle of a closed fist.

The inventor's eyes shot open as she saped. "Ouch!"

"Are you hurt? Are you okay?" Reisen said, checking the girl's earth-strained dress for obvious signs of bleeding. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her assistant, a snowy-haired twin of Tewi, helping Marisa stand. The witch took her hat, pulled her broom from the rubble, and mounted it sidesaddle.

"I'm fine," Nitori said, sitting up. "What about everyone else?"

Reisen put her hand on the _kappa's _shoulder, pushing her in place. "Whoa! You're not going anywhere until I check you out first. I don't know what the hell you just made, except more work for me."

Mokou walked up, an unconscious Momiji draped across her back. "Where do you want me to take them?"

"Into the tree line," Reisen said, searching the _kappa's _limbs for signs of fracture. "Get the dolls to help move patients."

"Momiji?" Nitori said, squirming against Reisen's grip as she tried to stand. "Is she okay?"

"Stop that," Reisen said. Her eyes glowed red. Sound and light frequencies shifted around Nitori, calming the agitated _kappa_. "She needs an IV and some rest, but she'll be fine. Relax."

Nitori met the moon hare's eyes. Tension left her body as she stopped fighting against Reisen's grip. The lunar exile was renowned for her beside manner, but unlike other doctors, she wasn't above cheating. The same power that could inflict madness could also induce calm.

"Well, you look alright," Reisen said, easing the pressure against Nitori's shoulder. "Can you stand?"

The inventor rose to her feet. "Yeah, what happened?"

Reisen shook her head. The hare watched the _kappa_, searching for signs of unsteadiness. "I was hoping you could tell me. When Chen dropped me off here, everyone was knocked out. But we need to get you to safety first,' Reisen said. She waved at a doll and then gave Nitori a small canteen. "Drink this."

Nitori wrinkled her nose as she smelled the contents. "What is this?"

Reisen shrugged. "Eirin calls it 'Balm of Gilead.' It's a general restorative."

The inventor paled at the mention of Eirin's name. "Do I have to?"

"It's your choice. You can drink it of your own free will. Or you can take it as an IV. Just be aware that Yukimi will stick you and there's no guarantee how many holes you'll have after she's done." Reisen suppressed a smile. The threat always worked. Yukimi was actually decent at sticking a vein, but no one ever wanted to find out.

Nitori paled and downed the elixir, gagging as she forced it down. One of Alice's dolls finally ambled over. Reisen placed one of Nitori's hands on the doll's head. "Take us to Mokou."

"Where are the others?" Nitori asked, coughing as the doll led them to the wood line.

Reisen pointed to the fireworks display near the barrier. "There. At least those who are up and moving. Whatever it was that knocked everyone out did a number on some people though."

The doll led them through the edge of the wood line into a clearing. _Tengu _soldiers were arranged in a circle, a makeshift IV stand next to each. Yukimi, the earth rabbit, moved from patient to patient, checking the vital signs for each. In the center, Hatate stood, working each of her joint in turn.

Kaede rushed up to the lunar medic. "We left one soldier behind in the mad run here. She lost her leg."

Yukimi paled. "Please tell me you at least put a tourniquet on."

"Of course I did!" the wolf snapped. Mokou stepped next to Kaede, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Why did you leave her out there?" Reisen said, aghast.

Mokou scowled, staring down the lunatic hare. "I didn't expect that from you. The wolves were in full panicked flight. I'd figured that you of all people would understand that."

Reisen bristled at Mokou's words. The lunar hare had fled her home on the moon during the Apollo invasions. "What I do understand is that we have a wounded soldier out there, alone. Where is she? I'll get her myself."

"No!" Yukimi said, looking up from the soldier she was treating. "This is too much for me to handle by myself."

Reisen sighed. The earth rabbits lacked a certain courage, but her assistant was correct. She was needed more here, which meant that she had to stick to her duty while the wolf girl suffered alone. Not for the first time, she cursed duty. It would be easier to walk away.

"I'll get her," Hatate said, finishing a hurdler's stretch. "I'm faster than you two anyway."

"That's no surprise, what with all the time you spend chasing Aya," Mokou said.

Hatate yowled as she beat the air with a closed fist. "Why so catty? Just tell me where you left her, and I'll bring her back. It's as simple as that."

The immortal rolled her eyes. "Fine." She walked over to a tree, brushed the leaves away from the earth by its roots, and crew a straight line in the dirt. "Here's the shrine, and here was the ambush site. There's a copse here where Kaede last treated her." Mokou drew an "X" as she spoke each new location.

"Got it," Hatate said, launching herself into the air.

As the crow vanished, Reisen palmed another small canteen. Tossing it to Mokou, she said, "Your turn. Drink up."

Nitori shouted from her side of the circle. "Run away!" she shouted, miming choking.

"What is this?" Mokou said, holding the canteen with her fingertips as far away from her body as her arms could stretch.

"Drink it. Doctor's orders," Reisen said, glaring at the obstinate noblewoman.

"But I'm immortal!" Mokou protested, backing away from the hare.

"That's no reason to neglect your body. Really, with the way you don't take care of yourself, I'm surprised you don't have major systemic failures," Reisen said, planting her fists n her hips.

"How can I? Your boss forces me to regrow all my organs twice a week!" Mokou shouted.

"What else is she supposed to do with a stalker of a suitor?" Reisen said, forcing the canteen back into Mokou's hand.

The phoenix girl laughed bitterly. "Why would I even be interested in her? I'd be content to leave her alone, but she had to disgrace my father-"

"Whatever. Drink," Reisen snapped. "Or I'll get Eirin to pour liters of the stuff down your throat the next time you get sloppy and we catch you slinking around the manor."

"No need to get nasty," Mokou said. She sighed and raised the canteen to her lips. Her eyes widened, and the canteen dropped from her hand. "What in the seven hells is that?"

"Really, Mokou, do you think I'm that gullible?" Reisen said, scowling. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nitori and Yukimi as they both paled and pointed behind her. The lunar hare turned around.

The Hakurei barrier, once golden, glowed brilliant blue as a raging torrent of silver taller than the shrine itself washed over it. The bubble-like wall bowed inwards under the pressure, holding for a minute before rupturing under the strain. The barrier shattered into myriad fragments as the magics unwound, hurtling splinters of raw magical energy at the central focus of what used to be Gensokyo's boundary; the Hakurei shrine.

As the cascade of highly charged energy swept across the shrine, it imploded in a flash of lightning, kicking out clouds of dust across the field.

Immediately, her hand covered her heart. An ancient oath left her lips unbidden. "Chang'e preserve us."


	5. What Disasters May Come

_**Look to the Eastern Sky**_

_**Book One of the Clockwork Devils**_

_**Written by Achariyth**_

_Inside her shrine, lit only by a ring of candlelight, Reimu-holding-Yukari winced as another of the Demon God's salvos hit the Hakurei Barrier, sending it quivering and ringing like a tocsin. With Yukari's senses added to her own, each impact sent a jolt like lightning across her skin. If the boundary _youkai_ had not inhabited the same space, Reimu-holding-Yukari doubted she would have heard Yukari shouting in her face._

'_Not good,' Yukari-in-Reimu said, sending her host an image of the barrier ripping as though it were a thick book torn by the hands of a strongman._

_It had taken precious moments for Yukari and Reimu to work out a common visual language to describe the barrier. Yukari had imagined the barrier as a plywood shield, a brick wall, and even panes of stained glass, to Reimu's frustration. Eventually, they had settled on thick layers of woven cloth. To Yukari's amusement, each layer of cloth looked like Reimu's red-ribboned white sleeves._

_The actinic fire burning through the cloth like coals through paper amused neither. Normally, Reimu would do the equivalent of weaving a new layer over the damage, an act that would take hours, but with Yukari's mastery of boundaries and edges, the two acting in concert could suture or even completely reweave the holes in the barrier. With the sheer number of holes burned into the barrier, Reimu-holding-Yukari could now make repairs that once took minutes in mere seconds._

_But even the shared skills of Gensokyo's most powerful _youkai_ and human could not catch up to the sheer amount of damage. To Reimu-holding-Yukari's horror, layer upon layer of the barrier tore like old rags._

'_I can't fix this,' Reimu-holding-Yukari said. Rivulets of sweat dripped from her brow as she attempted to stitch the torn edges of a barrier layer together. However, the repeated pounding from the Demon God burned through the cords trying to hold the tear together. As the various barrier layers fell away like tissues folding, Reimu-holding-Yukari's insides turned to water. 'Any ideas?'_

_As Reimu-holding-Yukari spoke, layers billowed, hurtling toward the shrine._

'_This,' Yukari-in-Reimu said. Taking over Reimu's body, Yukari-holding-Reimu opened a white portal, missing the usual eyes and ribbons._

'_What are you doing?' Reimu-held-by-Yukari screamed, powerless in her own body._

'_Surviving,' Yukari-holding-Reimu said. As the last layers of barrier fell away, Yukari-holding-Reimu threw them both into the white portal. 'Reimu, I'm sorry.'_

_As the portal closed, the ring of candles flared, then extinguished in a cloud of dust._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5 - What Disasters May Come<strong>

_And in this moment, I will not run_

_It is my place to stand_

_We few shall carry hope_

_Within our bloodied hands_

"Winterborn (This Sacrifice)," by the Cruxshadows.

* * *

><p>The Hakurei barrier, once golden, glowed brilliant blue as a raging torrent of silver taller than the shrine itself washed over it. The bubble-like wall bowed inwards under the pressure, holding for a minute before rupturing under the strain. The barrier shattered into myriad fragments as the magics unwound, hurtling splinters of raw magical energy at the central focus of what used to be Gensokyo's boundary; the Hakurei shrine.<p>

As the cascade of highly charged energy swept across the shrine, it imploded in a flash of lightning, kicking out clouds of dust across the field.

Scarlet filled Ran's vision. The fox girl threw her head back and keened, "YUKARI!"

Seventy kilograms of enraged fox tackled a quarter ton of construct, slamming metal and composites into the mud. She sat back on the terror's stomach, rearing an open fist, then smashing it into the Djinn's throat. Claws raked synthetic skin. She howled at the lack of blood.

The Djinn swung its arm, driving the sharpened butt of the mace towards Ran's chest. The vixen caught the mace's head and ripped it from the construct's grasp. The weapon flew away into nearby brush.

Ran fell forward, bucked by a knee shoved into her hip. Rolling to her feet, she spun around, barely catching the Djinn as it rushed her. Leaning backwards, she lifted the automaton into the air and drove it into the ground.

Marisa whistled. "Did you see that?" Alice shook her head as she circled the Djinn, her dolls forming a circle around the fight.

"Ran!" Suwako shouted. "Get out of there."

As both fighters rolled to their feet, Marisa's Divine Spark staggered the Djinn. The vixen seized the back of her enemy's neck, pulling its head into a rapidly rising knee. As the construct recoiled from the blow, she caught an arm, spun the Djinn away, and slammed her hand into its shoulder.

A clawed foot kicked into the back the nearest knee, felling the Djinn. Ran rolled into a straight-arm bar. Servos strained and crackled as she leaned back and cranked down the tension. The arm began to bend in ways the joints could not bear.

"Initiating self-repair," the creature said in monotone. Ran shrieked as the constructed raised her into the air and slammed her into the ground three times.

"Suwako! Get the mace and run," Alice shrieked, hurling twin straw dolls at the fallen fighters. She might be improvising like crazy, but if the weapon was valuable enough to the Djinn, they could still lure the monster away.

Suwako nodded, diving into the earth. A straw hat flew across the field towards the discarded mace.

The dolls landed next where the Djinn battered Ran against the ground. The vixen's eyes widened and she released the Djinn's arm, kicking away from the foe.

Smoke puffed into clouds, lingering over the field where the Djinn and straw dolls once were. Metal and rock rained onto the soil in muffled thumps.

* * *

><p>Reisen stood and stared as the shrine fell, her mouth agape. Trembling, she turned to the small group that had drawn near to her, each seeking what comfort that could be drawn from the others. Each face matched the pale fur of her ears. Silently, they watched the dust of the shrine drift away, the occupants' fates unknown.<p>

Eirin's crisis training asserted itself. Eyes closed, Reisen took four slow, deep breaths. When she opened the eyes, her shakes all but stopped. Looking around at her charges, Reisen's eyes settled on her assistant. While the wolf medic would be a better choice, she would insist on staying by her squadmates. A plan little more than a gamble formed in the moon hare's mind. "Yukimi, take Nitori and go to the shrine. Find Reimu and Yukari, but stay safe."

"Yes, Ma'am," the white rabbit said, a twin of Tewi in a black dress. She slung her medical kit over her shoulder, her face a rigid mask.

"But-," Nitori stammered, eyeing the brilliant flash of Marisa's newest Spark spell.

Reisen met her eyes, holding the _kappa's _gaze. "Please. Yukimi is not a fighter. "

Nitori nodded silently, picking up her shotgun from the ground. Racking a shell with a pump of her hands, she turned to the waiting rabbit medic and nodded. "Stay close," the inventor said. Both the rabbit and _kappa _slipped away from the impromptu camp, towards the shrine.

The lunar hare whispered a prayer as they departed. "Be safe. Please, Reimu, be safe." She looked around. "Where's Mokou?"

* * *

><p>Suwako burst from the ground, grabbing the ornate mace as she flew past. The mace burned with cold, like the time she had played with dry ice intended for shipping fish across country. A quick application of divine will stopped the chill, but it steadily drained her resources.<p>

The native goddess dove back into the earth. Roots and stone sped past as she burrowed. Occasionally, she erupted from the soil like a dolphin breaching the ocean waters, dirt streaming behind her.

On one such leap, an unseen force seized her, jerking her backwards. Suwako poured divine power into fleeing with the mace, but the mace slowly but steadily dragged her centimeter-by-centimeter closer to Gensokyo. Back to the Blue Djinn.

Back to the fight.

"If that's how you want it," Suwako said. Flourishing her rings, she grinned ferally. "Running's no fun anyway." She yielded to the pull, and mace and goddess rocketed back to Gensokyo.

* * *

><p>A sulfurous stench drifted across the field, stinging Alice's eyes. Next to her, two Hourai dolls carried a sealed book. Blinking away tears, she squinted into the white smoke floating where the straw dolls landed. "Do you see them?"<p>

Ran crawled out of the smoke, coughing. Soot covered her clothes and tail. She wiped her eyes, and bellowed, "Where is he?"

"A little more fire and a lot less smoke next time," Marisa said, flying around the cloud. "Nitori makes smokeless powders."

A silhouette appeared in the smoke. Marisa fired a Master Spark, while Ran just launched herself. The figure sidestepped the light beam, caught the vixen, and hurled her into Marisa. Fox and witch collided with muffled grunts, crumpling off Marisa's broom.

The doll master held out her hand, pulsing red laser light through the smoke. Through the holes burned into the white cloud, she could see the armored construct standing, one arm outstretched.

"Get off! You're heavy," Marisa said, pushing against the well-muscled fox crushing her. She grunted as a clawed foot pushed into her stomach. Ran snarled again as she regained her footing, her face a rictus of rage. Foxfire glowed from her hands, burning the last of the smoke cloud away as it passed through it.

The Djinn twisted, falling away from the foxfire's path. A silver disk flew out, skimming the ground. Ran bounded over it, driving both feet into what would have been its solar plexus. The vixen stomped up and down, raking hind claws against mail.

Her foe drove his elbow into her knee, pitching Ran forward. Rolling to his feet, he shoved his armored boot into the vixen's back. As Ran lay pinned beneath him, once again he held his hand out.

A Doppler-distorted shout echoed across the field. To Alice's amazement, Suwako keened a warcry as she hurtled towards the Djinn, rings splayed in her hand like the feathers of a bird. She let go of the mace carrying her, diving at the Djinn. Metal shrieked against metal as rings scored armor and sliced cloth. Ran rolled away from the machine as the goddess dove through the ground.

The Djinn rocked back on his heels. Without a thought, Alice and her dolls threw incandescent magic at the blue armored construct. The rainbow-hued fire missed as two child-like hands erupted out of the dirt, seized the automaton's ankles, and pulled the Djinn into the earth until it was buried up to its waist.

The Moreya goddess popped into the air behind her foe, her arms and legging flailing as she floated upwards. Multiple kicks pummeled the back of the white-haired foe's head.

Suwako flew away, pushed by the heat coming from the glowing red man. A scarlet aura surrounded him, coalescing into white and red flames.

The earth holding the Blue Djinn erupted.

Mokou appeared in the smoke, standing before the burning man. A hard right rocked his jaw. The next punch, however, was caught in a flame-engulfed hand. The burning abomination squeezed the girl's hand, forcing her to her knees. His free hand snapped up, raising the heavy mace high.

A shield-bearing Orleans doll flew in front of Mokou, its oversized kite shield reflecting red in the firelight. The mace crashed against the shield, spreading flame that licked against the doll. As the heat inside the doll rose, the gunpowder within exploded. Shield-metal shrapnel sliced into brigandine armor.

White smoke billowed across the battlefield. London dolls flew through the clouds and dragged Ran and Mokou away, while human, _youkai_, and divine magic shredded the fog. But as magic tore through the air, the sky above glowed brilliantly. Actinic fire drops rained upon the land that was once Gensokyo's border.

Nitori ran towards the shrine's ruins while Yukimi stayed by her side. She kept a careful eye on the path to the shrine. No one wanted to trip while carrying a loaded firearm.

The shrine's destruction had caught everyone off guard. Most were still processing the social implications of the barrier's fall, if they even had a moment to consider such matters. Nitori was more concerned with the physical realities of how the barrier fell. Where some people see a disaster, others see an engineering puzzle.

* * *

><p>Nitori stopped running and pushed the rabbit next to her to the ground. Sliding three spell cards into a clip on the side of the shotgun's barrel, she whispered, "Stay here."<p>

She crouched at the crest of the hill, poked her head over the ridge, and then rolled over the hilltop and onto her feet. Sprinting headlong down the short hill, Nitori aimed for the cover of the ruined trees. Squatting behind a splintered trunk, she panted, catching her breath. Sneaking a glance around the wood, her breath caught in her lungs.

The Hakurei grounds had been swept bare. Not a trace of the shrine or shrine keeper's hut remained standing. No timber remained at all, either standing or in debris piles. Only the foundations remained, polished by the flow of cascading barrier energies until the rocks shone in the fading sunlight. One thing was certain; Reimu and Yukari were no longer here.

An incandescent cloud bright enough to be a second sun hovered over the ground, spewing plasma onto the earth below. In the span of a few heartbeats, the cloud vanished, replaced by a thick smoke lingering over the ground.

Nitori squinted, and a shadow fell over the true sun. She looked up, grabbed Yukimi's arm, pulled the rabbit girl behind her, and tapped a now glowing spell card on her weapon. The card flashed pale blue, and Nitori and Yukimi together vanished in the background.

* * *

><p>Alice draped a handkerchief over her nose and mouth, gulping down air by the lungful. The last minute had been filled with frantic dodging as superheated projectiles rained down, although she would later describe it as dodging lightning as thick as rain.<p>

She waved a hand through the acrid smoke. The massive but mercifully brief attack had decimated her dolls, flooding the area with white gunpowder smoke. The doll master crouched low, squinting through the haze that shrouded everything from view. Her heartbeat rang in her ears. The monster that ruined her dolls was still out there.

A silhouette appeared through the smoke. Alice relaxed slightly, although she continued to eye her surroundings. She recognized the pointy and large brimmed hat.

"Marisa!" she called out in a stage whisper. The figure stopped, and then walked towards her.

"Hey, Alice," Marisa said, walking out of the thickest portion of the smoke, coughing. "Love the bandit queen look."

"Where is he?" Alice said. That question was rapidly becoming the most popular question of the day.

Marisa pointed to the sky. "He took a pot shot at me when I tried to fly. I lost my broom." She ground her teeth at the last statement.

Alice sighed. Marisa was a witch through and through. While she did not necessarily need a pointy hat and a broom for magic or flight, she was of the school of thought that the entire point of being a witch was that people knew you were a witch. Otherwise, you were just another weird magician in a land overflowing with weird magicians. Losing the broom was an affront to her pride.

"Have you seen the others?" Alice said, as the winds thinned the smoke a bit.

Marisa shook her head. "I lost track of them in that firestorm." Dodging that had focused her attention on what was immediately necessary, such as not sharing space with searing plasma.

"There!" The witch swore and pulled Alice into a thicker patch of smoke. She turned Alice's head towards another dark silhouette. Flashes of blue could be seen through the hazy wisps.

The earth rumbled. Two shadowy hands reached out of the ground towards the Djinn, clapping together with a loud crash where he once stood. Metal clanged against metal in a drum-like roll, while light beams flashed through the smoke.

Alice and Marisa clung to each other as a strong gust of wind cleared the fields of smoke. Marisa made sure to hold onto her hat.

The Djinn stood, blocking repeated blows from the mongoose quick native goddess. Iron rings flashed out, seeking joint and chinks in the brigandine armor, only to be deflected by bracers on powerful arms. Suwako flittered around the humanoid monstrosity like a hummingbird, with about the same effectiveness. The monster's heavy mace lashed out repeatedly, smashing nothing but air. Suwako's extreme mobility kept her out of the heavy club's path.

"Can you see anyone else?" Marisa asked, spraying danmaku at the automaton. Suwako glared as she grazed the tight pattern.

"There," Alice said, pointing to a crumpled pile of red and white.

"Hurry," Marisa said, scrambling to where Mokou lay motionless, sprawled out in indignity like a limp rag doll. Alice followed, the remnant of her dolls trailing behind her.

She knelt down next to the duchess, noticing that Mokou's skin matched her pale ashen hair. Alice's fingers sought the girl's carotid artery. The doll master shook her head. "Nothing."

"Was she hit?" Marisa said, watching as Suwako dodged a jab that shattered the earthen hands she had summoned earlier.

"No, it's like something just turned her off," Alice said, her fingers still resting on the pale girl's neck.

"She'll come around," Marisa said, showering magic particles through the space immediately vacated by the Djinn.

Suwako sputtered dirt, curse, and caustic acid at the Djinn, The globules hit metal, rolling off the Djinn's armor like raindrops.

A faint twitch quivered beneath Alice's fingers, growing into a stronger and steady pulse. Alice stepped back as a pale sheen of phoenix fire enveloped Mokou.

"Sooner than you think," Alice said, taking her bound grimoire from a soot-covered doll.

"Not a moment too soon," Marisa said, wincing. She walked laser beams towards the Djinn. She swore as what should have been a certain hit bent around the monstrosity. Her jaw dropped. "How did he do that?"

Suwako shrieked as a gust of wind sent her sailing across the field. Her arms and legs flailed frantically as she wove through the thick wall of needle-like light bolts rushing at her.

The Djinn turned towards Marisa and point the tip of his mace at the witch. Another wall of flame and needle-shaped light leapt across the field.

Marisa smiled an infectious grin as she bounced into the air. Fire and light zipped past as she spun, flipped, and twisted through the air. Danmaku sparked from her with each rotation. She landed, flourishing her arms above her head in a gymnast's salute.

"Try harder," she jeered. Her arms snapped out in front of her; the trigrams on her palmed elemental furnace glowing in a divination of impending fury. A Divine Spark tore through the air. "Tag. You're it!"

The Divine Spark enveloped the ancient Djinn; the only sign of the automaton was a faint shadow in the tempests of holy and arcane energies. The fire died, and the war machine staggered blindly, a shallow trench marking when the Divine Spark had pushed backwards.

Alice took her book, long suppressed desires pouring through her as she ran a finger across the leather binding. The Witch of Death's steel eyes flashed, drawing in the situation. Steel focused on metal, and she spoke a single word last heard long before the Moreya ancestors first drew breath. The wide ribbon fell off the grimoire.

A gasping breath brought the doll maker out of her reverie. Mokou hacked her way through a series of racking coughs as she sat up behind Alice. "Gimme that," Mokou said, grabbing the thick ribbon as she stood. She spun the infernal cord with her hand and took off in a run.

Alice nodded and threw a brilliant spell card at the Djinn's feet. Light flared, and three meters of blonde haired ceramics stood, unlimbering twin swords that could double as heavy cleavers. Blue fabric rippled in the wind as the giant moved.

Goliath had come to drive her master's enemies before her and no stripling shepherd boy or ancient evil would stop her.

The ancient devil regained his footing, only to catch one cleaver against the shaft of his mace. The other sword slid snake-like across what would have been his ribs. If he were a mortal man.

Alice's breath hissed between clenched teeth as the doll's following strike sought the creature's neck. It rebounded off the synthetic skin. If skill could not end this, Alice would use the Goliath to bludgeon an end to the battle.

She sent commands via the mental magical link between doll and master. The Goliath doll traded feints, strikes, and parries with the ancient foe. Silver disks formed in the air while they fought, fading into nothing as Marisa pitched danmaku into the forming plasma.

Both constructs sought joints with their weapons, hoping to use the massive clubs to smash away the other's mobility. But mace clashed against sword, and cleaver rebounded off bracer.

Red ribbon wrapped around the massive demon knight's arm. Mokou grunted as she pulled hard, dropping to the ground to increase her leverage. The demon's arm flew back, and Goliath's heavy sword smashed against the Djinn's elbow joint. The arm hung unnaturally, cleanly broken, before twisting back into place.

Nine tails flickered from hiding as the enraged fox leapt. Ran wrapped her legs around the Djinn's shoulders. Her arms snaked under the foeman's neck. She leaned back, muscles straining as she used her weight to try to pull the Djinn's head off its neck.

Feedback screeched across the mental connection to the giant doll. Alice's eyes snapped wide. "She's going to blow!"

Ran howled, releasing the automaton's head. As she flew away, she kicked the Djinn into the waiting embrace of the Goliath doll. Mokou's eyes widened and she tugged the chain away before diving into a nearby crater. Ran rolled next to her. Both girls covered their ears as they huddled against the lip of the crater.

The explosion could be seen from the Moreya shrine on the top of Youkai Mountain.

* * *

><p>The spinning seemed to go on forever. The Djinn's windblast had thrown Suwako into the air. Somehow, in the frantic twisting and turning needed to escape the laser and plasma chasers, she had tumbled out of control.<p>

Remarkably, her straw hat had stayed with her during the flight. Alas, the contents of her stomach had not. Sanae was a good cook, but not good enough to make a meal taste good on the way back up. Fortunately, she had heaved her stomach dry within the first few seconds of the spin. Unfortunately, it kept heaving long after.

Relief would soon be at hand as the ground rushed up to catch her, even though she would be trading one set of pains for another. Suwako cursed her incarnate body seconds before the ground slammed the air out of her lungs.

Some days, it just didn't pay to leave the lily pad.

The child-like figure gulped down air as she rolled upright. Nothing required immediate healing, but she'd be sleeping the effects of this adventure off for days.

Smoke billowed on the horizon, and Suwako took to the air once more, this time under her own power. The infernal machine had given as good as it got, but as Suwako flew, she resolved to end the fight once and all.

In the distance, a thick column of light rolled over the ground . Suwako swore an ancient oath; the Djinn had hurled her further away than she realized. Flying onwards, she bore down on the sounds of metal against metal. Figures appeared in the fields below her, including one enormous doll swinging massive swords.

Another explosion buffeted the native goddess. She regained control, and looked down. The Djinn lay sprawled on the earth. An idea flashed through her mind, and Suwako rocketed upwards until the Djinn and her friends were little more than specks on the ground. She turned over, falling and drawing on huge reservoirs of faith and divine energy to speed her dive.

As the ground rushed towards her, Suwako reached out to her enemy, one last thought flashing through her mind.

If she misjudged this at all, this was going to _hurt_. A _lot_.

As she collided with the Djinn, one last divine connection opened. Momentum and magic drove both goddess and Demon God deep into the bowels of the earth.

* * *

><p>The shadow grew, blotting out the sun. Nitori crouched low, keeping Yukimi close to the ground and within the mottled light of her Optical Camouflage. Setting the front sight on the dark blur, the inventor waited, whispering soothing works she did not believe to the frightened rabbit.<p>

Yukimi shuddered against Nitori's back as the shadow fell like an eagle diving. Hatate Himekaidou dove head first from the sky, flipping over at the last moment to land in a low crouch. "Nitori," she hissed.

The mottled light shimmered away into the ether. Nitori stood up, lowering the barrel of her shotgun. "Don't do that," the _kappa _complained, wilting as the tension drained from her.

"Reisen said to tell you that the wolf soldier is okay," Hatate said, turning towards the shivering Yukimi. With a practiced turn of the wrist, the crow reporter flipped open her phone's camera, revealing a picture. In it, Reisen and Kaede fervently worked over a pallid, unconscious wolf.

Color returned to the rabbit's cheeks, and a babel of medical terms assaulted Hatate's ears. Even someone more familiar with medicine as Nitori struggled to keep up.

"Whoa," Hatate said, backing away from the revived rabbit nurse. "I said that she's fine. Ask Reisen for the details when we get back."

"Not yet," Nitori said. "We have to find Reimu and Yukari."

Hatate's arm swept over the razed and desolate shrine grounds. "I doubt that we will. A mouse couldn't hide here."

"We are not leaving," Nitori snapped.

"As bad as it looks from the ground, I assure you it's even worse from the air," Hatate said. Noting the firm set of Nitori's jaw, she sighed. "Ah, forget it. Maybe I'll get a good story out of it."

The medical maelstrom subsided as Yukimi stepped out of Nitori's shadow. She tilted her head to one side and pursed her lips. "What is that?" she asked, pointing.

Out on the rocky foundation flensed of wood or mortar, a small flicker of gold hovered over what used to be the hearthstone. Nitori squinted, and turned her head. The ember still burned over the shrine grounds and not as an afterimage.

"You think that's something new from Yukari?" Hatate said, snapping pictures with her phone.

The _kappa _shrugged. "You can stay here if you want; I'm going to find out." The inventor sprinted down the hillside in a controlled fall; the rabbit and the crow slid down the slope behind her. Tripping over the smoothed stone, the trio hovered in reverent curiosity over the glowing ember.

"You think Reimu knows about this?" Hatate asked.

"I'm not even sure what it is," Nitori said, pacing around the flame. Occasionally, she paused, peered at the ember, and resumed walking. "Give me a couple hours on that, though." Hatate and Yukimi stared at the inventor. "After we find Reimu, though."

The earth roiled beneath the girls' feet. The trio clung to each other until the shaking stopped, then spun around, back-to-back-to-back.

* * *

><p>As magic and flame flew past each other over the field, Alice looked up at a rare sight. Suwako fell from the heavens like lightning. The goddess tackled the Djinn in mid-fall before driving the two of them through the ground and into the bowels of the earth. Soil sprayed upward and outward like the water. Danmaku magic sliced through the air where the infernal construct once stood, only falling off when the defending girls perceived the lack of return fire.<p>

The ground shook beneath Alice's feet, forcing her to dance about to reclaim her balance. As she wobbled, the doll maker scooped up the last of her intact Shanghai dolls before the vibrations tore it apart. A minute passed, and the earth stood still. "What next?" the doll-maker wondered out loud.

Ran hovered next to her, her hands clamped together inside oversized sleeves. Tears ran down the fox familiar's cheeks. "She's alive. She has to be."

Alice thought of a shrine maiden, and closed her eyes. The doll in her arms turned into rainbow light, as did her shattered sisters. The light coalesced into spell cards in the doll maker's hands. "We'll find them."

"If this is over. I won't feel comfortable until I see a body. " Mokou said, stepping out of a plume of smoke. The phoenix girl looked around warily and thought to her constant and deadly feud with Kaguya Houraisan. "Maybe not even then."

Marisa rummaged around the cratered field, hurrying from hole to hole. The witch shouted as she waved her broom overhead. "Found it!"

"Marisa!" Alice shouted in exasperation. The spell cards in her hand faded, replaced by a thick black book. "Show some respect. Reimu and Yukari are gone, and Suwako's who-knows-where."

"Impressive," Marisa said, flying over to the others. She peered into the gouged earth. "For a pipsqueak."

"She's still-" Mokou began.

Ran's growl cut her off. The ear-tuffs on Ran's hat flickered, and the _kitsune_ slammed a glowing spell card on the ground next to her feet. A sinkhole opened underneath her hand, and the spell card dropped inside. Ran scurried away from the growing hole's lip.

"Watch it!" Suwako bellowed, panting as she pulled herself out of the ground, dust billowing behind her. She groaned as she rolled over, staring at the sky.

"Did you get him?" Alice and Marisa asked together.

"Maybe," the Highest of the Native Gods croaked. "I left him fused in the bedrock."

Alice staggered as the ground bucked beneath her feet. Her eyes snapped wide, but instead of reaching for another spell card, she held her black book tight to her body. "Can you see where he is?" Alice asked, searching the horizon.

"We'll need to split up," Ran said, shaking her head. "Make sure you signal if you find him."

"If you see the signal, Mokou, get help first," Suwako added. The phoenix girl nodded.

The girls scattered. Ran flew away from the shrine, Mokou into Gensokyo, Suwako into Japan, and the magicians toward the shrine.

* * *

><p>The stones convulsed again. Yukimi climbed up Nitori's shoulders, whimpering. The inventor winced as the rabbit's foot dug into her kidney.<p>

"Hatate!"

"Yes," the reporter said, shivering.

"Your spirit photography, can it see what's going on?" Nitori asked.

Rocks clattered in the distance, as though falling down a hill. Hatate pulled out a spell card, bobbling it in her hands. Yukimi squealed once more, covering Nitori's eyes.

"Stop that!" Nitori said, stumbling around and into the magical ember. Warmth flooded the _kappa's _body, and a golden glow infused her being. Yukimi yelped, launching herself at Hatate, bowling the reporter over. Rabbit and crow rolled across the polished stone.

Nitori stood motionless as the ember flared into a column of light, transfixed by the images flooding her mind's eye. Straight lines of silver etched themselves into Nitori's mind, radiating outward from the shrine's foundation. She had a sense of the lines networking something together, as if they might be roads.

Warm fire turned to ecstatic tingles across her skin. Bruises and cuts dotting Nitori's legs melted away. She waved her arm, scattering golden light over Yukimi and Hatate, and their wounds vanished. From within a pillar of light dancing like a tongue of fire, Nitori felt her companions' surprise, every feature painted in her mind's eye as sure as though she was looking directly at her friends.

A blue flash illuminated her mind. She turned, and a hilltop burst apart. The Blue Djinn stood in the center of the fading dust cloud; his stern visage chilling the _kappa_ to the core. Ecstasy turned into the searing shock of needles playing on skin. The inventor fell to her hands and knees, grinding her teeth as the energies convulsed throughout her body.

"Get help," she gasped. Yukimi shrieked, bounding away and over one of the many hills surrounding the shrine.

Hatate shook her head, palming her camera phone towards her foe. A flash of light slammed into the ancient armored enemy. Smoke rose from the construct as armor ablated. The crow _tengu _smirked; she could actually hurt him now.

The Djinn staggered forward against the strobing barrage of light. Each movement was punctuated by sudden jerks, as the gears and servos within the machine slipped and caught. Armor and fused rock continued to ablate away into vapor under Hatate's continued assault. A silver disk flickered; its fire extinguished. A second disk formed completely, and actinic fire streaked towards Hatate's exposed position.

Nitori screamed as the magic forces continued to overload her nerves. Even the brush of wind against her skin flooded her with pain. She watched as the Djinn bracketed the speedy crow within great fountains of plasma and earth. With the last of her strength, the kappa flicked a card out and collapsed. It fluttered in the wind before settling on the stone foundation, no more than a few centimeters away from the prone inventor.

A curtain of water burst from the card into the air, catching the Djinn's fire. Plasma splashed into the wall of water, fizzling into diffuse steam. As the standing wave shielded the shrine from the Djinn's attacks, something barreled into Nitori at high speed, pushing her away from the ember's glow. The images and the pain vanished, leaving Nitori spent.

"Don't let him-" she began, slurring her words.

"Stay with me," Hatate said, clinging to the inventor as she flew. "Reisen!"

"No. Don't-" the _kappa _replied, slumping into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>Lightning flashed though the hills surrounding the shrine.<p>

"Do you think that's him?" Marisa asked, banking towards the shrine. Water geysered high into the air in a sustained torrent, the wind draping the spray over the land.

"Definitely," Alice said, pausing in flight. She held a hand straight into the air, and another at the flooding shrine. Thick red columns of light pierced the sky, magical beacons to where the Blue Djinn had resumed his fight.

"Let's go!" Marisa shouted, smiling as her broom flew a twisting looping spiral around the streams of light.

"Not yet," Alice barked, gritting her teeth. It took energy and concentration to maintain such showy magic, but her signal would be worthless if it didn't last long enough for people to see.

"You'll be no help if you wear yourself out," Marisa said. She looped behind her fellow magician, grabbed her arms, and gently guided them to her side. The signal lights faded when the magical connection was broken. "We still have a fight to win."

"I know," Alice muttered, staring at the water fountaining over the Hakurei shrine.

Marisa spun Alice about, and stared into her eyes. "You have any tricks left, Alice?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" the magician snapped. With most of her dolls shattered, she had no more usable spell cards left.

"I know you. When's the last time you went all out in a fight?"

"When's the last time I've had to?" Alice blustered. Marisa's words hit her hard. She never fought at full strength; if she lost, she could at least find small consolation in that.

"Today," Marisa said.

"Skill and strategy beats power," Alice snapped.

"Why not use both? We'll do a thunder run," Marisa said, referring to a lighting fast and heavily armed dash through enemy territory. She pointed to a hill. "Let's start from there."

"Alright, we'll go in fast," Alice said.

"Like when we broke into Eternity Manor?" A smile crossed the witch's face.

"Faster," Alice replied. Magic surged in her body, and she rolled into a large looping dive, accelerating rapidly as she fell.

Marisa grinned and grabbed hold of her hat. She coaxed her broom into a tighter twisting dive, turning well inside of Alice. "Try to keep up," she said, waving as she pulled ahead of her fellow witch.

The girls rocketed across the hills, Marisa's shoes grazing the grasses zipping beneath her. They crested the hill as the mammoth waterspout collapsed, danmaku spraying across the shrine grounds like devilish rain.

The Djinn jerked and staggered his way across the foundation stones; a faint glow reflecting off his pockmarked and stone-encrusted armor. Clusters of shot ripped across him, tearing and fusing the ringmail he wore. The witches zipped past the Djinn, buzzed past the hearthstone's ember, and skidded into a running landing at the edge of the foundation.

Alice slid to a stop and turned around. Red lasers tore at the construct's joints, but the infernal machine staggered on, reaching towards the fire dancing above the foundation. Marisa bathed the polished stonework in dense magical grapeshot.

"What does it take to stop him?" Marisa said, watching as her danmaku showered sparks off the machine's metal. The Djinn ignored the fire and continued his arrhythmic stagger to the ember's flame.

"At least we can hurt him now," Alice said. Previously, the infernal device just shrugged off all attacks.

"Remind me to thank Suwako for that," Marisa said, firing a Master Spark. It slammed into the Djinn's shoulder, staggering the construct. As he stumbled, he threw out a hand to steady himself, raking the ember with his fingers. Golden energy clung to his fingers as they passed through the fire. The glow faded, as did the scars on his arm's vambraces.

Alice's heart fell in her chest. They were so close to beating him. Out of the corner of an eye, she watched as Marisa winced as she tossed her elemental furnace from one hand to the other. The ordinary witch blew on the fingers of her free hand. "Don't stop!" Another Master Spark joined Alice's red lasers.

The construct deflected the energy with his newly restored bracer and stepped into the flame. Beams of coherent destructive magic flew past, and a golden aura surrounded and infused the machine. Once fused into its coat of a thousand nails, rocks dropped away, clattering against the stone at his feet. Score marks, sere marks, and missing gaps melted away, leaving the Blue Djinn looking as pristine as when it was first built.

Alice's heart fell further, and she crept slowly away from the healing Djinn. "What do we do now?"

A ring of silver scales flashed into being around the Djinn. Each rippled like the surface of a pond.

"Run," Marisa said, sitting sidesaddle on her broom before flying a wide, fast circle around the shrine. She swept her arms out as she flew, showering wide arcs of dense danmaku into the shrine's stone foundation.

Alice dashed away, randomly changing directions at the slightest whim as she made her way up and over the nearest hill. Whenever possible, she added laser fire and danmaku clusters to Marisa's barrage.

The Djinn's ring of disks did not vanish into a wave of actinic plasma. Instead, a glowing line lanced out from each disk, cutting through the air and into the ground as each sought the nearest target. Marisa slipped sideways and spun about, passing underneath and around a constricting net of directed plasma. Alice rolled and grazed passed her own pursuing laser fire and Marisa's stray danmaku. She winced at the nearby heat as she sprinted up the last of the slope. Rolling over the crest, she dropped out of the way as silver light and heat shaved a thin slice of the hilltop away. Alice rolled to a stop, panting.

She collected her wits and peeked over the hilltop. Marisa danced her way through a dozen lasers. A bright smile lit up the witch's face as she guided her broom through a drunken random walk.

Loud whistling cut through the clamor of danmaku blasts and shattering earth. A purple bolt shot down from the heavens, crashing into the glowing Djinn with a loud metallic ring.

As the echoes faded, the Djinn held an arm straight out away from him. Suwako Moriya hung upside down by her ankle from his hand. She lashed out wildly with her rings, reaching for the Djinn's body with each swing. Danmaku and laser fire streaked past as the infernal machine raised his mace high into the air.

Blue foxfire raced up the construct's arms. The Djinn dropped Suwako, slapping out the fire. Ran descended serenely before him. Silver laser light raked through her body, but the vixen just smiled and waved. In the flash of dying foxfire, the _kitsune _vanished.

A hand fell on Alice's shoulder. She spun about, danmaku flaring in her hands. Ran frowned at her as she swatted the witch's hands away.

"What was that?" Alice asked, the lights dying out in her hands.

"Illusion magic. Fox magic."

"Is anyone else coming?" Alice said, turning away and readying her next pattern of shot.

"If Mokou can fly to the village fast enough."

A voice like a polyharmonic choir of angels shouted, echoing throughout the field in a terrible, bone-chilling cry. Ran and Alice looked over the hill and froze, each shaking in the powerful hold of dread. In the center of the shrine, Suwako Moriya stood no longer as a child, but as the Highest Native Goddess revealed in all her splendor and terror: two meters tall, agelessly feminine, and terrible in her divine wrath. On the other side of the shrine, almost unnoticed in the revelation of divinity, the radiance of power coursing from Suwako knocked Marisa from her broom.

Once again, goddess and demon squared off. Mace met ring, danmaku flew past plasma in torrents , as both foes met and countered each other's blows with precise and practiced ease. As the two fought for what seemed like an eternity, thunder roared and the earth shook. But the Djinn stood in the center of what was effectively a magical battery, while Suwako's faith ebbed with each attack.

Without warning, the Highest of the Native Gods shrank to her childish form as she consumed the last vestiges of her hidden stockpiles of faith. Alice slumped to the ground as the fearsome terror melted away. Suwako fell to her knees, the Djinn's ring of lasers burning an ever-shrinking circle around her.

Brilliant white light bathed the countryside. Marisa's final Divine Spark tore through the shrine's lands. The ring of silver scales melted under the deluge of magic, but the magic broke over the armored figure like water against rock.

"I don't know how he got stronger," Ran growled, throwing fire as shadows passed overhead.

Hatate dropped from the sky next to the magician and the fox, startling both. "We found something in the shrine. It healed Nitori and amplified her Water Curtain card. Well, before it overwhelmed her."

"Where?" Marisa asked, as she slid off her broom, landing next to Alice.

Hatate cringed. "Right about where he is."

"So as long as he's where he stands now, he's unbeatable?" Alice asked. Her hands drummed against her grimoire.

"Keep him busy," Marisa said. She slipped a straw bracelet out of her pocket and over her hand. Alice thought she recognized the jewelry, but could not place it.

"Where's Suwako?" Alice asked, cradling her grimoire against her chest. The power inside called to her, and she found her fingers running longingly down the pages' edges.

"We'll find her after this, I know it," Ran said, staring appraisingly at Marisa. "Hold still."

Marisa climbed on her broom and motioned at Ran to begin. The _kitsune _held her hand out, bathing the witch in a corona of foxfire. As Alice watched, Marisa vanished into the background, although if the magician turned her head, she could just manage to see Marisa's faint outline out of the corner of her eye.

"Give him hell," Marisa said, as she took to the skies.

Alice stared at the beckoning grimoire, and shook her head. It would be so easy to give into its power, but if she did and she lost… In a flash, the grimoire vanished into its hiding spot.

"Just keep firing until Marisa does whatever craziness she's planning," she said to her companions, holding up three fingers. One by one, the fingers dropped until only a fist remained. Alice, Hatate, and Ran popped up over the hillcrest, spreading out as they unleashed thick walls of danmaku, tight laser spreads, and strobing flashes of magic at the Djinn.

Twin rings of silver disks appeared, spinning around the Djinn as silver lasers lashed out, burning away the hill the girls used as cover wherever the lasers touched it. Alice cried out, ducking down as laser light swept over her head. When it passed, she stood up and resumed her fight.

Marisa floated behind the infernal foe, her foxfire melting away. Holding her furnace out until it almost touched the Djinn's back, she fired the strongest Master Spark she could manage. The construct rocked on its feet, and spun around, swinging its mace. The witch flew back, growling. The mace head pointed towards the witch and glowed, spitting laser bolts at Marisa.

To Alice's surprise, Marisa slipped the broom sideways around the mace, tackling the Djinn's torso in what looked like a giant bear hug. She locked her hands around her wrists, tugging at the Endless Knot looped around her arm. Great coils of rope entangled the Djinn and herself. Spurring her broom into flight, Marisa slowly dragged the Djinn away from the ember.

The twin disk rings spun inward. Alice shouted wordlessly, tracing her laser fire across the ring of disks. Wherever scarlet met silver, that disk flickered away.

Marisa flared her broom to its top speed, but the Djinn swung its mace, knocking the broom askew. The flying knot of rope, witch, and metal spiraled around the hearthstone's ember. With each circle, Marisa bore the brunt of electric shock and battering blow as the Djinn fought to free itself. On the third spiral, Marisa tugged at the bracelet once more, and the rope fell away. She pushed off the Djinn, falling off her broom and free of her foe.

"Marisa!" Alice shouted, bounding over the hill. But before her feet could touch the ground, both the construct and the witch vanished in a flash of sky blue light.

Alice sprinted to the hearthstone shouting her friend's name.


	6. Fires Burn

_**Look to the Eastern Sky**_

_**Book One of the Clockwork Devils**_

_**Written by Achariyth**_

"_Hello? Earth to Mary. Wake up, sleepyhead," Renko said, shaking the blonde woman's shoulder. How the blonde woman could fall asleep in the designed for no comfort at all train seats was beyond her._

_Maribel Hearn woke up and rubbed her eyes. "Are we there yet?"_

_Renko Usami giggled. "You and trains."_

_Maribel yawned. "I can't help it." She rested her head in the crook of her arm. "The rhythm just puts me to-" The blonde snored._

"_Oh, no, you don't," Renko said, shaking even harder._

"_I'm dreaming of Gensokyo," Maribel said, raising her head. "Let me be."_

"_But you promised to help me with my astronomy homework," Renko said._

"_Ugh, more Newtons Sleep. Why can't stars be something more than just flaming hydrogen?" Maribel said, bleary-eyed._

"_Ever think you might have a sleep fixation?"_

"_At least magic happens there," Maribel said. "Let me dream."_

"_If you don't want to help with mine, let me help with your homework instead," Renko said. Maribel aversion to higher math was legendary._

"_But I'm tired," Maribel said. "Why won't you leave me alone?"_

"_Because this is the only way I can share your dreams." A slight smile crossed Renko's lips._

_A white flash covered Maribel's sight, leaving dark afterimages. She seized the back of a nearby chair to steady herself while her head spun._

"_Whoa!" Renko said, holding her forehead. She sat her bonnet on the chair next to her._

"_You felt that too?" Maribel said, blinking away the last of the aura obscuring her sight. In the instant before it vanished, when she looked at Renko, she thought she saw a large red ribbon bow in her friend's hair._

"_We must have drank too much last night," Renko said, rubbing her temples._

"_Lightweight," Maribel said, sticking out her tongue._

"_Just because you can put away that tap water Americans call beer by the barrel doesn't mean you're any less of one," Renko protested. "Try something stouter next time."_

"_Oh dear, we'll have to fix _that_," a mirthful voice whispered inside Maribel's head._

"_The good stuff spoils on the way here," Maribel pouted. Indeed, most imported beer tended to go foul on the ships. Maribel's favorite, a good German hefeweizen, tended to suffer poorly through the import process. "Besides, just because you love math doesn't mean you have drink Guinness exclusively. Nerd."_

"_Hey! They did a lot of important work in statistics, _sasanach," _Renko said, using an Irish insult for the English._

_Maribel stared at her friend in disbelief. "You can say that, but you trip over 'Maribel?' I don't get you."_

"_Whatever, Ms. Yakumo," Renko said, smiling._

"_Huh?" that voice not Maribel's own said in her mind. Maribel wished she sounded as refined._

"_I told you, Lafcadio is no relation of mine," Maribel said, pouting. The writer Lafcadio Hearn emigrated to Japan and took the name of "Koizumi Yakumo." Renko had made that into a joke as soon as she learned Maribel shared the same last name._

"_But its easier to pronounce," Renko said._

"_Barbarian."_

"Sasanach._"_

_The women giggled._

"_So, shall we try to find a way into Gensokyo again this weekend?" Maribel said._

"_Don't you ever get tired of the search for Gensokyo?" Renko asked, soberly._

"_No, because its one of the few times I feel alive instead of just living," Maribel said, smiling._

"_I'd like to try to find a boyfriend for once," Renko said, returning the smile._

_Maribel wrinkled her nose. "I'd like to not get hit on. Just for one weekend." Japanese men found Maribel's blonde tresses irresistible._

"_Blonde she-devil temptress," Renko said, forcing a stern frown before smirking._

"_You forgot _sasanach _that time," Maribel pointed out._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6 - Fires Burn<strong>

_The earth can shake,_

_The sky come down._

_The mountains all_

_Fall to the ground._

_But I will fear_

_None of these things…_

-"Shelter Me," Tab Benoit

* * *

><p><strong>A Return<strong>

"Faster!" Mokou bellowed as she flew through the air, buoyed by a harsh tailwind. She steered towards the Hakurei shrine, its ruins illuminated by constant showers of danmaku fireworks.

"I'm trying," Sanae said, grimacing as she slipped closer to the phoenix girl. The wind priestess dropped a glowing card. Flittering through the slipstream, it vanished and a mighty wall of wind pushed Mokou and her impromptu squad even faster.

Twin brilliant flashes cut through the heavy flak surrounding the shrine. The lethal light show slackened. Mokou grit her teeth as another gust slammed into her from behind. She glared at Sanae, whose ashen face was locked in grim determination.

"That can't be good," Keine said, struggling to remain upright. The wind caught the hakutaku's horns, and only the most heroic effort kept Keine from tumbling through and out of the sky. "We shouldn't have waited."

"You needed us," Sakuya said. Patchouli and Youmu flew behind and above the maid in a die triangle. "If that thing withstood two witches, a goddess, and Yukari's pet, I doubt a priestess and an umbrella would have made much of a difference."

"Just you wait," Kogasa muttered as she sailed ahead of the group. "I have a surprise with your name on it…"

Mokou rolled her eyes. She'd let Sakuya think whatever she would; the delay was just long enough for her to create a pair of spell cards. Finding the Scarlet Mansion staff on an errand was just a bonus.

Up ahead of the formation, Kogasa cried out in alarm. Spell cards slipped into hands as the girls dispersed into a wide cloud. A brown speck far below leapt into the air.

Like the others, Mokou scattered danmaku below in a thick rain of magical harm. The speck twisted and slipped through the deadly shower.

"Cut that out!" Suwako shouted hoarsely. "Or by my name, even Hina won't be able to save you from my curses." Her eyes settled on the priestess as the magic faded. "I know I taught you better than that."

"Sorry," Sanae said, flying closer in a wide, banked turn. She gasped. Suwako's clothes were torn, and the goddess's skin resembled old dried bone in color. "What happened?"

"Am I glad to see you," the goddess croaked, tackling the priestess in mid-air. As Suwako bathed in Sanae's faith, color returned to her cheeks.

"Let. Go," the priestess wheezed as Suwako glomped the air of her lungs.

"Where is he?" Mokou growled. Sure, the reunion might be a touching scene, if one ignored the blue blooming across Sanae's skin.

"I'll tell you, say, for a little faith?" Suwako said, turning towards the phoenix girl and ignoring her glare. Sanae gasped for air as her goddess eased her grip. However, the priestess had enough energy to swat at Suwako. "Oh, alright. The Djinn's gone. So's Marisa. They disappeared at the same time and we can't find either."

An uncertain shiver ran through Mokou. Sure, Marisa was one of the strongest spell card users in Gensokyo, but she also had trounced all of the girls present handily and repeatedly, sometimes without warning. Pride warred with shame, and a quick look at the others showed that Mokou was not alone in her conflicted emotions.

"Time to get my books back," Patchouli murmured, ignoring Sakuya's cutting glare.

"What now?" Youmu asked.

"Go to what's left of the shrine," Suwako said, perching on Sanae's shoulders as though the young priestess was giving a piggy-back ride. "Alice might have more for you."

"What about you?" Keine asked.

"Sanae and I are going to make sure he's gone," Suwako said. Beneath her, Sanae nodded, stone-faced.

"I'll go too," Kogasa said, twirling under her umbrella through the air.

Red-faced and scowling, Suwako opened her mouth. She paused and shook her head. "Fine. But first, how about a little faith?" The trio vanished in a heavy gust of spell card augmented wind.

Rolling her eyes, the phoenix girl dropped out of the sky, landing in a three-point crouch. Next to her, Alice stood on polished stone, surrounded by a small ring of dolls. The witch rapidly flicked cards into the air from a small deck in her hands. Each card glowed, vanishing as though it were made from flash paper. Occasionally, a doll would joined the circle at her feet.

"What are-" Mokou began, She shrank away from the Witch of Death's glare. Immortal as the duchess may be, she could still die for a time, and resurrection still hurt.

As Mokou's four companions landed around Alice, the magician huffed. The last spell card from her deck fizzled in her hands. The witch sighed again and pulled out one last spell card seemingly from the air itself. Three more dolls appeared and took their place in the ring of dolls, each resembling one of the mischievous Fairies of Light.

"Stand back," Alice commanded, opening her grimoire. _Power _pulsed from the witch, pushing Mokou and her group away from Alice. "Further."

A black magic circle formed on the polished stone foundation, circumscribing a complex star with a doll at each spoke. Mokou stood still, transfixed by the otherworldliness of the witch's magic.

"Stop gawking," Keine hissed, pulling Mokou away from the foundation. The hakutaku bounded away, yanking the phoenix girl through the air.

"Hey!" Mokou protested as they landed. She rubbed her shoulder and froze as she glanced at Alice. "What the hell?"

The circle pulsed as it grew rapidly, flinging the dolls outward until Alice, eyes closed, stood in the center of a wheel of dolls and magic over a hundred meters wide. Wind swept through the shrine grounds, but neither the pages of the grimoire nor Alice's dress moved with the wind.

Keine glided next to Mokou in a display of elegance that would have provoked Sakuya's jealousy if the maid wasn't hiding from the aura of power. She gasped as the dolls, the magic circle and Alice levitated into the air as one unit. "She's actually doing it!"

Mokou shrugged. Except for when Reimu forced the use of spell cards, the duchess preferred a bloodier hands-on alternative to solving problems than using magic.

Keine rolled her eyes. "You know how Alice always knows where you're at, even when she's never looking at you? She's found a way to combine what she can see through those dolls."

"So?"

"What she's seeing through those dolls right now would put a hawk's eyesight to shame. Right now it's like she's looking through a telescope as wide as that circle."

"And?"

"No optical telescope in the world is that big," Patchouli said, floating behind Mokou and Keine. She had a sleepy look on her face that belied the fact she was scribbling frantically into a worn notebook. "Some magicians have seen through the eyes of their familiars, but no one's thought to link multiple familiars into an array like that."

Mokou smirked. "So someone's finally done something you haven't."

The witch snarled. "What makes you think I want to see what Koa does in her spare time? Besides, Nitori thought of it after she borrowed one of Sanae's textbooks, from something called a Very Large Array."

The dolls spun slowly around Alice, tilting until the ring stood vertical. Rotating slowly around the Witch of Death, the magic circle twisted and turned as various things caught its mistress's interest. The dolls stopped, hurling thick beams of ruby laser light into the surrounding land.

"More like a Cutely Dangerous Array," Youmu said, drifting with Sakuya towards the group.

"What was that for!" Mokou called out.

"Spider _youkai_ near human campers," a dozen dolls answered in the witch's voice. With the barrier down, humans from outside and _youkai_ from inside Gensokyo had begun to spill across the lands. As the echo faded, the Cutely Dangerous Array spun once more, stopping again without warning.

"Do you see the Djinn?"

"No. No sign of him or Marisa," Alice's dolls sang out. Low hisses echoed across the shrine grounds. "Rumia…"

"Where?" Sakuya snarled. Knives flashed into the maid's grip as Alice pointed with her free hand. "We're on it," she said. Youmu nodded, and the inseparable pair left on their hunt.

Mokou watched as the disk started its rotation again, the novelty of Alice's magical construction fading. She stumbled as Patchouli forced herself between Keine and herself. Mokou snarled, to no avail. Wide-eyed and quivering, Patchouli beamed at Keine.

"You've got to see this!" the magician gushed, tugging on Keine's shoulder. She pointed to where the ember blazed above the rock foundation. "Hearthflame?"

Keine sought Mokou with her eyes. "Sorry," she mouthed, before Patchouli jostled her away; the magician bounced with each step. The historian pursed her lips as she consulted Gensokyo's history. "Too energetic-"

Mokou sighed, rolling her eyes. At the first strains of magical technobabble, she rushed away. A low, keening cry stopped her in her tracks. A cat's mewling answered, higher in pitch but just as strong. The fox cried out again, as Ran and Chen mourned their lost mistress in the privacy of some unseen nook. Sad, moving, and ultimately beautiful, the duet of tears reached through Mokou's armor of indifference. The phoenix girl dropped to her knees, blinking away tears.

* * *

><p><strong>A Retreat<strong>

"Kaede, hand me that IV," Reisen Udongein Inaba ordered, cinching a ratchet strap tight. The lunar hare hovered over a litter bearing Nitori Kawashiro's spasming form. A short length of rubber hose jutted out of the _kappa's _arm.

"Yes, Ma'am," the lupine medic shouted, holding a bag filled with a clear yellow liquid over the _kappa's _stretcher.

Reisen attached the tubing to the bag and sighed. "Hold that up. How's Miki?" She pointed to another stretcher carrying a wolf soldier missing a leg.

"Stable, although Lady Eirin might need to take a look at her," Kaede said, holding the IV gingerly. She had popped one all over her patient earlier in her training.

"Normally, I'd take that as an insult, but under the circumstances-" Reisen said, as she checked Nitori's breathing and pulse.

"Are they ready to move?" Sergeant Momiji Inubashiri growled as she knelt next to the medics. As Nitori spasmed again, Momiji grimaced and rested a hand gently on the inventor's shoulder. "Can't you do something for her? A little magic-"

"A whole lot of magic caused this," Reisen snapped. "I just about lost her from some weird resonance when I tried a simple scrying spell."

"We're about ready to leave," Momiji said, wincing. Four wolves stood behind her, standing ramrod straight, one of Alice's dolls tightly bound to their assault packs.

The hare stood up and looked around. In the span of minutes, Momiji had organized a sprawling mess of an impromptu aid station into soldier's packs and one oversized litter. Reisen shook her head. If only rabbits were so efficient. "Well, they aren't getting any healthier out here, and I'd really like the Master's help with Nitori."

"I'm more worried about what's out there," Momiji said, flashing a set of hand signals to her squad. The wolves stepped back out of their formation and settled at the ends of the three litters. Momiji took the IV from Kaede and took her station by Nitori's head.

"I need a medic," Hatate shouted as she swooped in from the sky, Yukimi dangling from her arms. The wolves ducked low, and the ring of metal sliding against metal could be heard as swords were drawn.

Reisen rolled her eyes. "She's only passed out. Probably from fright. You'll just have to carry her. We're going back to the manor."

"We don't have the bodies for another litter," Momiji said. At her glare, her soldiers sheathed their weapons.

"I'll hold her," Miki said from her stretcher.

Momiji nodded to Hatate, who set the diminutive rabbit in the fallen soldier's arms. Kaede frowned, but secured the rabbit tightly to the stretcher, just in case.

"Carry that end," she ordered, all but shoving the litter's handles into Hatate's hands. The _tengu_ protested, but one growl from Momiji silenced her.

"Ready!" the sergeant called out. Six pairs of hands grasped stretcher poles, while the medics crouched next to their charges' heads, alert to any changes in their conditions. "Lift! And fly!"

With those commands, the survivors in Momiji's squad began the journey to Eternity Manor.

* * *

><p><strong>A Race<strong>

"Where did she go?" Sakuya shouted, running through the thin woods at the edge of the day's battlefield.

"I swear that I just saw her," Youmu shouted. She flew above the maid and the trees. Indistinct ghostly images swirled around the swordswoman in wide sweeping circles.

"Which one of you saw her?" Sakuya said, sidestepping around a thicket of heavy brush. It had taken some time to adjust to the fact that Youmu's ghostly twins were as much her as her physical body.

Youmu closed her eyes, soaring away from a particularly large tree in her path. "Over there," she pointed to the south with an open hand. Her ghost selves formed a line in the direction she pointed. "There's a shadow darker than all the others."

"And those campers?" Sakuya asked. With the barrier down, several of the outdoorsmen that passed through the country around Gensokyo had accidentally crossed over. The unsuspecting strangers had attracted attention.

"Also over there," Youmu said, opening her eyes.

"Come down here," Sakuya said, pulling the Lunar Dial stopwatch from a pocket hidden in her skirt.

The ghost girl fell through a clearing, floating to a stop at the very last moment. Youmu saw the pocket watch and shivered, Her afterimages floated into her body, giving the pale swordswoman a luminous aura.

Sakuya grabbed Youmu's hand and fed her power through the stopwatch. Colors drained from the forest until only monochromatic blue remain. Trees shifted out of the girls' way as space ordered itself according to the elegant maid's will, leaving a direct path to a large black sphere.

The maid pulled on her friend's hand, and both sprinted down the makeshift path. As powerful as Sakuya's dominion over time and space could be, she could only bind the world to her will for a short time.

"Seeing that always creeps me out," Youmu said, shivering. Though a brave warrior, the swordswoman took fright easily at anything that remotely touched on the supernatural.

"I just saw my best friend possess herself, so we're even," Sakuya replied as she stopped in front of the black globe. She reached inside and fished around in the darkness before pulling a small girl out. Youmu froze, colors fading away as Sakuya released the embodied ghost. A knife flashed as it pressed against the new girl's throat.

The Lunar Dial ran down. Colors burst into being as Sakuya's hold on time and space fell away. The maid hissed as she pressed the knife harder against the _youkai_. "Rumia."

"Leave me alone," the _youkai _of darkness said, shrinking away from the blade. "They aren't natives; they're fair game."

"Not any longer," Youmu said, her ethereal selves spiraling free of her body.

"But they look so tasty," Rumia whined. An avowed carnivore, somehow she had once had a taste of the monster crack that was human flesh. Now the young girl chased and schemed like a junkie for the next bite from an unsuspecting human. Sakuya pitied the _youkai_; Rumia was quite pleasant when not in the throes of her addiction. Still, a certain shrine maiden had to beat the first rule of survival into the _youkai_ girl. Don't hunt Gensokyo's humans. Humans from outside, however, seemed to be fair game, as long as they vanished before Reimu set eyes on them.

"The barrier's down now," Youmu said, resting a hand on the hilt of her sword. Sakuya recognized a classic _iaido _stance as the swordswoman waited for the right moment to draw free her sword.

"The rules have changed. No hunting any humans. Ever," Sakuya said. She froze time again, making her point with several more knives aimed at each of the _youkai's _major organs. Time sped back up, but Sakuya's control of space kept the knives floating in the air. "Break that one, and we'll hunt you down."

"Is that so? How unlucky," Rumia said. Darkness covered the three girls. Sakuya stabbed with all the knives she controlled, and a gust of wind announced the all-too-close passing of Youmu's blade. Rumia giggled as the darkness passed. The blonde girl stood next to a thick tree out of Sakuya and Youmu's reach. "I guess you win today."

A card glowed in Youmu's hand. The ghost girl practically teleported behind Rumia, her blade shining in the fading sun.

Rumia leapt away, blowing her attacker a raspberry. " But let's see what changes first, your good luck against my bad." A shadow fell over her, and she vanished. "Maybe I'll even be lucky enough to catch you." Rumia's voice echoed hauntingly through the trees.

Youmu sheathed her blade. "She only has to be lucky once. We'll have to stay lucky."

Sakuya held up the Lunar Dial as her eyes searched the trees. "We'll make our own luck."

* * *

><p><strong>A Report<strong>

Three hours.

Three arm-aching-leg-numbing-locked-at-parade-rest-unable-to-move-never-to-be-sufficienty-damned hours listening to the false sympathies and muttered accusations towards what few of her fellow soldiers were left.

Ordered to remain outside her commander's office, Sergeant Momiji Inubashiri silently and slowly depleted the vast store of profanity she had built up over her long career as a soldier.

She knew this drill, and had even used it herself when privates under her care invariably made mistakes. The delay was nothing more than a power game designed to combine the agony of waiting with the agony of a stiffening body to illustrate one single point:

You done fucked up, soldier.

Typically, Momiji would let the condemned stew in their own juices while she worked herself into a good fury. After all, a good ass chewing, like any piece of art, needed time to properly develop. However, it was doubtful that her commanding officer, no gentleman he, was working himself into a fury inside his office. Instead, he was probably chasing crow _tengu _fledglings who thought themselves to be more sophisticated than the silly little girls they actually were. She had caught the cur panting after Hatate numerous times. Fortunately for the crow reporter, she was too caught up in her work to notice most of the time. Unfortunately, the unintended hard-to-get act only stoked the lecher's fire.

Her commander, a graying wolf, waddled past her hunching over. Out of the corner of her eye, Momiji could see the reddish outline of a handprint on the beast's cheek.

"Stuck up Himekaidou tart," he hissed, slamming the door shut behind him.

Momiji vowed to buy Hatate a double round of her favorite drink. Repeatedly imagining Hatate's foot turning her commander into a gelding took Momiji's mind off of the pain growing in her arms. Yet it was another half hour before the platoon sergeant greeted her.

"Get your ass inside that office," he snarled.

Momiji snapped to attention and walked to the commander's door. Knocking three times, she waited for the mumbled response before entering.

The office was small, dominated by a wooden desk that sat next to a tall bookshelf. She ignored the inevitable "I Love Me" wall filled with the commander's personal mementos, including pictures of his avian conquests. Momiji marched with parade ground precision to the proscribed three paces in front of the desk.

"Sergeant Inubashiri reporting as ordered, sir," she said, bringing her right hand to the tip of her eyebrow in a perfect salute.

The commander glared at her, waiting three long breaths before returning the salute. Momiji suppressed a growl at how sloppy it was. Officers…

He looked down, shuffling folders before opening one. "Tell me, Inubashiri, what am I supposed to do with you? No matter what, Lord Tenma won't let me make you dance the hemp fandango. What should I do with an idiot sergeant who lost half of her squad?"

"Sir," Momiji said. Long years of experience had taught her that "sir" could be a versatile response meaning many things to the speaker without tipping her hand to the listener. In this instance, Momiji meant, "a promotion, if your record is anything to go by."

"But no, you didn't just lose half of your squad. You compounded your blunder by razing the shrine, smashing the barrier, and losing the shrine maiden. Not to mention losing the witch and the boundary witch as well. We should give you a medal for that last one, but we'd look silly rewarding someone so far in the doghouse that even fleas won't touch her.

"Congrats on leading the worst military debacle in Gensokyo's history. You've embarrassed the _tengu_, and like any embarrassment, we're going to speed you out of sight. You've lost half your squad and now you'll lose the rest. How is up to you."

The commander slid a sheet of paper towards Momiji. "This is your notice of court martial, Inubashiri, and we've taken the time the put together as good of a kangaroo court as we could marshal. As I said, I can't kill you, but I do wonder how long you'll last in the darkness with nothing but bread and water. Your girls will be gone as well, just another failed experiment that never should have happened."

The words struck Momiji like a thunderbolt, but she would be damned before she let this slime have his satisfaction. She stood ramrod straight, her face expressionless.

"However, Lord Tenma has decided to take your years of service into account. You may sign this resignation and walk out of here. No court martial, no civil trial. With any luck, shame will take you from us. I recommend twenty-six Reds and a bottle of wine. It gets the job done without the mess of falling on your sword. Here are your choices, private-convict or citizen. Either way, I'm out an embarrassing pain in the ass who doesn't know her place. It's your choice which way this plays out, but you are not walking out of this office a sergeant."

Momiji stared at the desk and grabbed a paper. With a quick splash of ink against the page, she stormed out of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>A Reunion<strong>

"I'm sorry, Alice," Komachi said, sipping from one of Alice's teacups. "The boss hasn't seen Marisa, Reimu, or Yukari."

In the aftermath of the battle, Alice had asked Komachi, Youmu, and many other servants of the various chthonic rulers of underworlds and paradises to keep an eye out for the missing. To her surprise, Komachi had readily become her agent to the underworlds. Alice suspected this was an excuse to shirk work, but she was glad for the help.

"'Sorry?' That could be good news," Alice said, reclining in her chair across from Komachi. A pristine Shanghai doll poured honey into her teacup.

"Only if they aren't already in an afterlife."

"Well, we know from Tenshi that none of them are in heaven," Alice began, leaning forward.

Komachi interrupted, beaming between bites of a thin white cake. "I beat that out of her myself. Too bad the boss didn't let me drag her out of heaven, but I socked her hard enough that she'll remember me every time it rains."

"Delightful," Alice grimaced. She sipped at the tea and grimaced again as she set the cup down. The Shanghai doll added more honey and stirred.

"You have no idea. She's plagued us ever since she cast off the name of Chiko," Komachi said. Tenshi's immortality had been beaten out of the reapers who attempted to send her to be judged. None were strong enough to carry her to her appointed judgment.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Can we focus on the task at hand? Did Eiki say if any of the other judges saw her?"

Eiki Shiki, Judge of Xanadu, presided over the souls of the recently departed, sending them to their final reward, celestial or, too often, infernal. A statue given life, the Judge had kept her statuesque appearance, although it was readily apparent that her sculptor had favored shapely legs.

Komachi shrugged, tapping the side of her cup. "The boss has sole jurisdiction over the residents of Gensokyo. Even if they expire in Argentina, she will judge them."

Alice blinked as her hand hovered over her teacup. "Why Argentina?"

"I had to help another reaper track a Gensokyo soul there during Carnival. Now, that was one hell of a good party," Komachi said, a sly smile growing on her lips.

"Interesting as that may be, that doesn't help me find them." At least the tea now met Alice's approval, if little more of the last week had.

Komachi shook her head. "No one has found them yet. Not Yuyuko, not Satori, not even Byakuren nor the goddesses."

"No one's asked _her _yet?" Alice said, raising an eyebrow. Her smile grew tense.

"That's something only you can do."

"Certainly Eiki talks to the Mistress of Hell-"

Komachi raised her hand. "The boss has and does, but Shinki is adamant that she'll only talk to you in the matter."

Alice sighed, slumping against the back of her chair. "Joy. Thank you, Komachi."

"It's alright. I owe you for helping even the score with Tenshi," Komachi said. The reaper winced as though deafened by a mighty shout. "Look, I hate to eat and run, but the boss is screaming for me," she said before fading away.

Alice sighed, and stared at her locked grimoire for a long time. Without warning, she opened the grimoire to a page marked with a red ribbon. Unwrapping the ribbon, she traced a short verse with her index finger. Clearing her throat, Alice muttered the spell in a language that never originated on Earth. A purple window appeared in the air before Alice, coalescing into a kindly portrait of a pale-haired woman.

"Lady Shinki, Mistress of Hell, I stand before your portrait in my home and call to you," Alice said, invoking the ancient forms of the Endless.

The image of the woman faded into flesh, and Shinki stepped out of the portrait. "Greetings, daughter. Given that you never call, to what may I owe the pleasure of your company?"

* * *

><p><strong>A Revelation<strong>

"Thank you," Nitori said, steadying herself on Shou's shoulder. Her knee buckled again, and the tiger grabbed her before she could fall.

"We're almost there," Shou said, stepping through the barren field surrounding what was once the Hakurei shrine. She glanced at the cluster of tents next to the polished foundation and growled at the white chalk markings beneath her feet.

"Why did Patchouli insist on this?" Nitori said, wincing as bubbling pain rippled through her leg. Shou had helped Nitori follow the etched chalk road at the elemental magician's request.

"She said it was called a labyrinth. It's some sort of Western concentration magic to focus your mind. I think," the tiger _avatara _said, glowering at the thought of foreign magic.

"I'm focused clearly on my leg," Nitori said, stumbling. She sighed, clutching at Shou. A week had passed since exposure to the ember at the shrine had given the _kappa _symptoms similar to nerve damage. "Eirin said this should pass soon."

"You could have waited until you recovered," Shou said, following the last legs of the chalk lines as they looped ever closer to Patchouli's purple tent on the Hakurei shrine's foundations. _Youkai _resilience was legendary. Any creature that could shrug off death tended to shrug off permanent injury as well.

Nitori shook her head. "I need to know what happened to me and to Marisa and also why what happened to her didn't happen to me."

"Byakuren thinks that they've found some answers," Shou said, brushing the tent's flap open.

"Couldn't we have flown?" Nitori said, gritting her teeth as she knelt to walk inside.

"Patchouli was insistent," Shou growled as she entered the tent. She cut a glare at the magician's back.

Patchouli Knowledge stood in front of the ember, fiddling with a rainbow ring of crystals. Various flashes illuminated facets from inside the stones according to some unspoken whim of Nature. She muttered under her breath as she thumbed through a thick leather tome at her side. "To think we never knew this was here. Koa!"

The demonic assistant floated over, her arms filled with stacked books. "I finally translated Watkins's _The Old Straight Track _like Byakuren asked."

"Did you get Atkinson's _Telephone Leys_?"

Koakuma rolled her eyes. "We're standing next to a ley focus. It doesn't make sense to read someone who claims they don't exist."

Byakuren drew next to the devil's side, taking the stacked books from her hands and setting them down next to a green crystal. "Sometime critics have breakthroughs that advocates miss."

Nitori sat down, wincing as her leg spasmed. "What are they talking about?"

Shou shrugged as she knelt next to the _kappa_. "Ley travel. Although they're discussing it on a level far beyond what I understand or care to."

"Have we mapped the telluric currents yet?" Koakuma asked, stretching. Ley lines connected sites along straight lines that also followed energy flows inside the earth.

"Can we tell where Marisa or the Djinn went?" Nitori called out. The saint, the witch, and the devil spun around at the sound.

"Not that type of mapping. Think of all magic as a form of three-dimensional geometry showing relationships of Power-" Patchouli began, a pedantic moue of disdain on her lips.

"Don't tell me you're a proponent of the Sullivan-Browning theory," Nitori snapped. Next to her, Shou rolled her eyes and sighed.

"It sometimes helps for visualization," Patchouli said, primly.

"How does that relate to ley travel?" Nitori asked. "I've never heard of it before today."

"Most of the leading work is English in origin," Byakuren said, frowning as Shou rubbed her temples.

"I'm going to go clear my head," the _avatara _said as she leapt out of the tent.

"Aren't you from there?" Koakuma asked as she thumbed through an ancient codex.

"Ley magic is ancient Briton in origin, which I am assuredly not," Patchouli said, glowering at her assistant.

"British, Briton, it's all Dutch learning to me," Nitori said, shaking her head. She used the old Japanese phrase for foreign learning.

"Provincial," Patchouli muttered as she turned back to the crystals. Byakuren and Koakuma joined her, adjusting the sequence of flashes as they pulsed through the crystals in the ring.

Nitori drummed her fingers against her leg as she watched. Her mind drifted, thinking back to the design Marisa had stolen. A phrase she had come across in Patchouli's library inspired her Endless Knot; now another dancing through her recollections.

"Is Briton kinda like Celtic?" Nitori asked.

"Yes. The Britons were Romanized Celts," the magician said in a huff.

"Does the phrase 'the time between times' mean anything?" the _kappa _asked.

Patchouli turned around, her face blanching. "Where did you hear that?"

* * *

><p><strong>A Restoration<strong>

"Compared to the other shrines, this one seems different," Keine said as Kanako led her about the mountain shrine. With the barrier's fall and Reimu's disappearance, citizens mobbed the remaining shrines and temples in Gensokyo seeking solace.

"It is," Kanako said. "Tell me, Keine, have you been outside?"

The teacher shook her head. "There's always been too much to do for my classes."

"Outside, there's a natural tendency for people to pick and choice from Shinto, the teachings of Lao Tzu, the Enlightened One's path, and the society of Confucius. Since none of these faiths are exclusionist like those of the sons of Abraham, we Japanese are natural syncretists. This fractures the faith available to any one god or goddess, a faith already diluted by peace and prosperity."

"That's why you came here," Keine said, nodding. Lady Akyu would love to have heard this, but Keine's fellow historian spent most of her time writing these days.

Kanako shrugged. "The number of cults is skyrocketing. But none of this explain the peculiar rituals of our faith. I find that I must make a confession."

Keine laughed. "Shouldn't I be the one confessing?"

The goddess grew grave, "At the height of their persecution, Suwako and I sheltered whole villages of the Hidden."

"Christians?" Keine said, blinking. After a failed bid at political power, Japanese Christians were violently persecuted, and, for the most part, wiped out. Small enclaves survived by hiding. The stigma and the enclaves lasted for centuries.

"We were curious and what do goddesses care about the pride of feudal lords? The poor Hidden just wanted to live in peace, unmolested by the powers that be, just like anyone else. Their faith was so strong, like a work of art. Who could fault us for preserving such beauty?

"They pretended to outsiders to follow our way, so we shielded them from the lords' purges. In turn, of their own free will, they turned us into saints, or maybe angels. In doing so, the Hidden changed us, for the price of receiving faith is to become worthy of faith."

"No more 'Goddesses Gone Wild?'" Keine said slyly

Kanako laughed. "You're going to go there? I've heard stories about you and Mokou during Spring Break…"

"Rumors," Keine said, squirming. "So, what exactly changed?"

"We picked up two things from the Hidden; an increased desire for personal relationships with our followers and the idea of a contract between us and our followers. Well, and some of the liturgy, suitably changed, but that's more a matter of fashion than content. But the covenant is what important. People believe in and obey us, and we do our best to improve the quality of their lives. Why else do you think we've worked with the _kappa _so much?

"Lady Kanako!" Sanae shouted from the doorway of the shrine.

"If you would excuse me," Kanako said as she slipped away.

"Another Moreya shrine conspiracy?" Keine said, laughing.

Kanako rolled her eyes. "More like a private religious ceremony."

The goddess glided into the shrine. Glancing at her priestess, she sighed. "What's wrong?"

"I'm worried. I competed enough with her that people will talk," Sanae whispered, wringing the hem of her dress. "I'm not trying to replace her."

"You think I want to be compared to Yukari?" Kanako said. "If Ran herself hadn't suggested this after that spider _youkai_ almost ate those boy scouts who wandered in here-"

Sanae shuddered. "If Youmu and Sakuya hadn't been nearby-"

"JSDF would be flooding Gensokyo as we speak." And if the Special Defense Forces did not descend on Gensokyo, teams from the private monster hunting companies would. JSDF would have more mercy…

The green-haired wind priestess shook her head. "With Youmu and Sakuya out hunting _youkai_ like Marisa and Reimu did and you and me doing this… Nothing feels right anymore."

"It's what Gensokyo needs."

"And Suwako-"

"Makes a better war goddess than I do," Kanako said, shaking her head. That admission was never easy.

"Any idea what she meant by her special plan to gather faith?"

"You should know Suwako by now. She doesn't always share her schemes."

Sanae sighed, pursing her lips. "There's a limit to the amount of change a girl can handle. And my life's been nothing but change lately."

Kanako sighed. "If I could hit 'Pause,' I would, but the world won't let me. If you're too nervous to help, you don't need to. I can do this myself."

"I'm your priestess. You asked me to be part of your work. Did you think I would say no?" Sanae said. Upon seeing her goddess's smile, she continued. "Shall we begin?"

Sanae stepped out into the courtyard and called upon the wind. As leaves circled around her feet, she spun in place, her skirts billowing as the growing winds caught them. The wind priestess cried aloud, a triumphant shout echoed by her goddess as she too glided across the courtyard.

Shout and spin turned into song and dance. Sanae opened herself to the wind and to the rhythm of human life, channeling the human magics through herself. With each step and note, she wove the weft of life and hope against the warp of Kanako's newly spun sky.

Closing her eyes, Sanae gave voice to the chorus welling up from within. _"Wash over me, wash over me 'til I can't take any more." _She repeated it again and again, stepping through the dance of time. Kanako smiled, echoing the simple heartfelt chorus.

A choir joined Sanae and Kanako's duet. Sanae opened her eyes, to see the greater fairies dancing in circles around herself and Kanako. The fairies of light sung the light of sun, moon, and stars into Kanako's sky, while Cirno, Daiyousei, and Lily sung winter, summer, and spring into Sanae's winds. The song grew with the voices.

"_I dream that my voice is heard_

_in the secret place where I bear my face._

_Come wash over me, wash over me,_

'_til I can't take any more."_

Eight voices sang to the heavens, their dance knitting a circle around the borders of Gensokyo. From the ground up, sky, wind, and light coalesced, trapping the residual energies of the destroyed barrier like fish in a net. With each turn of priestess and goddess, the 'net' tightened as though hoisted into place by twin capstans until the energies cemented together into a shimmering mesh of aqua light.

Gensokyo had a barrier once more.

In the future, humans, _youkai_, and goddesses would build upon the foundations, but for the moment, the symbol of the land's protection was renewed. The dance stopped; the dancers panting but otherwise unwilling to break the silence.

Kanako Yasaka looked upon her handiwork.

And she saw it was good.

* * *

><p><strong>A Recessional<strong>

_Eternal light shine_

_And still lead me home._

_Grant me sight until I'm_

_where I belong._

- "My Unspoken Words," Phil Keaggy

* * *

><p><strong>Author's notes<strong>

_Touhou Project belongs to ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. The Ifrit, Dream of the Endless, the Kildar, the happy horned smiley face, and all other references and cameos belong to their respective authors and creators. I own nothing, and I will remove this work of fiction from any site I can upon request from any of these parties or their legal representatives. I also request that any site that publishes this work agree to do the same._

_The song Sanae, Kanako, and the fairies sang is "Wash Over Me," written by David Ruis, copyright 1997 by Vineyard Music Canada._

_To all who have read Look to the Eastern Sky, I extend my most sincere appreciation. For those who have reviewed, thank you for helping me improve my writing. Thanks go to Kerreb17 for proofreading. As always, all mistakes are mine alone. Thanks also go out to the Let's Danmaku forum crew for putting up with and commenting on snippets of this for the past six months. If you want to see what many of the Touhou writers on this site are up to, it's a good place to check out._

_Look to the Eastern Sky got its start as an experiment. I have written fan fiction on and off for the past fifteen years, but I had worked mostly in one-shots or grand co-writing experiments where putting up a good chapter in a short time was more the name of the game than nursing a story from start to finish. So these six chapters represent the longest form of fiction I have written, as well as multiple gambles and experiments in the continuing quest to write well._

_I am compelled to point out the strong influences of the works of Stephen Lawhead, Terry Pratchett, Fred Saberhagen, Neil Gaiman, Tom Kratman, Howard Taylor, and Eric Flint upon the structure and themes of this work. Without these writers, the world of science fiction and fantasy would be a much drearier place._

_This is the first complete story in the ongoing tale of the Clockwork Devils. I've started the next two stories. "In Visible Light" follows Youmu and Sakuya as they deal with what seems like a normal incident. "Nightfall" follows Nitori and Momiji as they travel through the ley portal. A third should start soon, and it'll be a collection of various subplots. Expect to see more of Alice in that set of stories. I hope you'll join me for those stories as well._

_Sincerely,_

_Achariyth_

* * *

><p><strong>Omake: Homecoming<strong>

_Gruagach. Tomte. Kobold._

Cultures throughout the world have names for any of a host of parasitic beings that use curses and terror to extort a living from humanity. In the Province of Suwa, the locales call these beings "_Mishaguji_," and unlike most of their brethren, they had once amassed great power.

That a dozen _mishaguji _now huddled in a dimly lit smoke-filled room showed how far the race had fallen from their peak. Long before magi saw a star in the west and pondered its meaning, the goddess Moreya had shattered their reign. However, the goddess had vanished without a trace months ago, allowing the mishaguji to play their tricks once more, if their newfound courage did not fail them.

Bottles of liquid courage, imported from Kentucky and extorted from a local bartender, littered the bare rock floor. With a final shouted toast, the decision was made. Suwa would belong to the _mishaguji _once more.

The door flew open, slamming a _mishaguji _into the wall. Danmaku shotgunned through the room, spreading and shredding in its path. Two iron rings ricocheted off walls and skulls. Whenever iron or danmaku touched serpentine flesh, skin burned. Two great earthen hands sprang from the earth, clapping together to crush the most unfortunate.

In the chaos of fire, earth, and iron, not a single soul noticed a straw hat glide across the floor and into the center of the room. The hat shot up as an child-like figure in a purple dress sprouted from the earth. She held out her hands, catching the rings as they flew by. She twirled each ring once, before looping rings around the necks of the last two _mishaguji _standing. As the _mishaguji _squirmed against the scalding cold metal, she drew the rings together.

The _mishaguji _made a delightful thump as their skulls crashed together.

Suwako Moriya towered over a dozen groaning _mishaguji _on the floor, every inch the dread goddess of nightmare and memory. A feral grin lit up her face.

"Hello, boys. Miss me?"

* * *

><p><strong>Omake: Wanderlust<strong>

In a flash of light, Marisa Kirisame appeared on the summit of a barren sandy peach mountain. A chill wind bit through the fabric of her dress. She shivered, panting in the too thin air. Stumbling around for shelter, the witch opened her mind's eye, searching for the now familiar edge between what she called "here" and "not here."

As a witch, the denizens of Gensokyo often called on Marisa to make the hard decisions. Reimu, Sanae, and all the other priestesses, hermits, and anchoresses in Gensokyo might teach people how to live; a witch stood there at the transitions of life. As midwife, healer, the last giver of mercy for those whose pain was too much, even as judge, Marisa helped those trapped at the edges between life and death, right and wrong, single and married, and today and tomorrow. Edge magic, her mentor called it, and ever since that fight with the Djinn, she had drawn on it more and more.

Holding her head and wincing, she saw a shop next to train tracks, an odd sight at the summit. Crunching her way across the sand and gravel, Marisa stepped towards the shop. In her mind's eye, she could feel the eternal presence of her ancestors, although the vast plains to the east proved she was not on the Isle of the Mighty. The script in the shop's glass doors seemed familiar, though.

Needles ran across Marisa's skin as she sensed the peculiar feeling of "not here." Unlike previous times, at least this one was easy to find; it was warm. Hot even, although any heat was welcome as her chill grew worse.

Marisa rolled her eyes. Of course it would be on the other side of the summit from the shop. With one last look at the warm inviting shelter, she shivered her way towards the fence and that sensation of "not-here." With a flare like a candle being blown out, the witch vanished in front of a sign that read "Summit: Pikes Peak. 14,110 feet."


End file.
